And Baby Makes 8
by purple83
Summary: This is sort of a prequel to my other story, Jude's Rebellion. Basically this is my AU version of the Foster family from the start of Lena's pregnancy to the birth of the baby. The whole family will be included, but Jude will be the most prominent of the kids.
1. Chapter 1

Lena walked out to the main part of the school office to use the PA system. "Excuse me teachers, I need all of the Adams Foster children dismissed to the office. Thank you."

XXXXXX

Callie heard the announcement and slouched down in her seat. This was the third time this week that Lena had called for all of them over the loud speaker. It was becoming rather embarrassing how needy she had become.

"Hey, Foster, isn't that your mom calling for you?" A boy behind her teased.

Callie ducked down a little more. "She'll get over it… There are a lot of us, maybe she won't even notice that I am missing. I will ask the others later what this impromptu meeting was all about."

Since Callie's last name had just recently become Foster, she figured that her teacher may not notice her and she was correct. She also figured this meeting, just like the other two, would be something that could easily be written in a memo or text.

XXXXX

Mariana and Jesus were in class together when the announcement reached their classroom. Jesus started to get up and Mariana motioned him to stop. Their teacher was momentarily distracted dealing with another student and may not have heard. On Monday, the whole family was called to the office so that Lena could tell them how much she loved them. Then yesterday Lena called all of her children to the office and grounded all of them for seemingly no reason and then ungrounded them with an apology after school. Today seemed too soon to be calling for them again. Jesus and Mariana would both rather stay in class.

XXXXXXX

Brandon was taking a note to another teacher and was in the hallway when he heard Lena on the speaker system. He figured he needed to finish his errand and then maybe his teacher would think he had already run by the office. Maybe he could convince Lena after school that he didn't hear the announcement from the hallway. Brandon saw Jude leaving his classroom and headed to the office. He figured everyone else went, too.

XXXXXX

Jude heard the announcement and was excused from class. He was nothing if not loyal to Lena. This meeting would probably be like all the others, but Jude was so happy to have a family that nothing else really mattered. When he got to the office, he knocked.

"Come in!" Lena looked up to see her youngest peeking in. "Hey, Jude! Come on in and have a seat. Go ahead and leave the door open since you are the first one here. How is your day going?"

"I got an A on my history test!" Jude only wanted to give her good news if it was possible. "Thanks for helping me study!"

"I am so proud of the effort you have been making with your work, Bud. When you get home you should tell Mom. She will also be proud of you."

Jude smiled back at Lena. She glanced at her watch and wondered what was taking the others so long to get here seeing as Jude's room was the furthest from the office. "Jude, did you see any of the others in the hallway on your way over here?"

"Ummm…. Well…." He was unsure how to answer. Jude had seen Brandon going into a classroom, but it did not look like he was headed here. Again trying to keep things good he gathered some courage and smiled bigger. "No, I guess not."

"Well, I will try something else then." Lena suspected Jude knew more than he was saying. She walked back out in the main office and got back on the PA system. "Excuse me teachers, I need all of the children who would like me to continue paying their phone bills to be dismissed to the office. That would be Brandon Foster, Callie Jacobs Foster, Mariana Foster, and Jesus Foster. Thank you."

Lena walked back into the office and smiled at Jude. "That should get the others here quickly. You know that you are our favorite, right, Jude?"

"Of course, Mama… Are we in trouble?"

"No, I just wanted to talk to you guys. Why does everyone think they are in trouble with me all the time lately?"

XXXXXXX

This time there was no amount of slouching, ignoring, or pretending to keep the kids from making their way to the office. Each felt rather mortified by the announcement and just wanted to get out of his or her classroom as quickly as possible. Their classmates were already snickering and the kids knew that come lunch time they would all have to hear it. Since all of their classrooms happened to be close together, they descended on the office as a group.

Lena met them at the door and had Jesus close it on his way in. "Well, I am glad to see you could all make it. What was the hold up?"

Everyone except Jude mumbled incoherent things under their breath. "Okay… I just called you guys here to tell you that I have another doctor's appointment at 1:30 this afternoon. Mom and I will be leaving here around lunch time. B, I am giving you the keys to the car. I need everyone home right after school today. Start your homework immediately so it will be done before we get home. Jude, if you need help I am sure one of them would be happy to work with you. We are hoping to have some news to share when we get home. Any questions?"

"You embarrassed us in front of all of our classmates just to tell us to come straight home after school?" Jesus asked impulsively. "Couldn't that have just been put in a note or something?"

"I wouldn't have embarrassed you if you had come the first time! I really should just ground the whole lot of you!" Lena admonished her children, but then started tearing up, "I just love you guys so much and I just wanted to spend time with you… Does that make me a bad mother?"

The kids silently looked at each other and then glared at Jesus. Lena has been having treatments to become pregnant and the extra hormones made her sort of crazy. She could go from happy to mad to crying in less than five minutes. They all knew not to cross her as all of them had already experienced the wrath of their mama tiger in the past week. Stef had been assuring them that Lena did love them still and to play nice until things got better again.

Jude, as always, was the first to recover. He got up and hugged Lena tightly. "You are a great mother, Mama! We all love you!"

Lena hugged the boy back and smoothed his hair with her hand. "Thanks, Buddy. You always know how to make me feel better."

The other kids slowly got up and joined in on the hug. It's true, they all did love their mama. They also knew that when Stef said to play nice, it also came with a stern warning that upsetting Lena would call for serious consequences. Between their love for their mama and their love for their phones and freedoms, all the kids could put on a brave face to assure Lena of their love.

Lena, of course, was quickly drying up her tears. "Okay, Loves, you all have class to get back to right now. Go learn something! I will see you at home later."

XXXXXXXXX

Stef and Lena nervously waited hand-in-hand on the test results at the doctor's office. They had been through the in vitro process twice with no pregnancy and financially this had to be the last attempt. Lena had been faithfully following all of the doctor's instructions and this time around more hormones had been prescribed. She knew that she felt crazy, but she hated it that her kids and even her wife were acting so strangely around her. The doctor had told Lena that once she was further along in her pregnancy, her moods would settle out some.

They heard a knock at the door as the doctor came in the room. Lena felt her heartbeat faster and Stef moved to the edge of her seat. "Well, Lena, Stef, I have good news for you…. You're pregnant! We will need to do a few more tests to see how things are going in your pregnancy and then you will be free to go."

After a longer wait and a quick sonogram, it was determined that everything looked good. Lena was just at two weeks along. Lena scheduled her next appointment while Stef texted the kids to tell them they were on their way home.

XXXXXXX

"Uh… Mariana, we have a problem…" Callie read her text again as she nudged her sister. "You promised we would make it home before Moms, but did you just get this text?"

Mariana couldn't drive so she had convinced Callie, a newly licensed driver, to go to the mall with her after school. Lena had said to come straight home, but it had been the kids experience that these doctor's appointments tended to last a long time. Plus, all the times before the moms wound up going out afterwards. Obviously this was not one of those times.

"Mama is gonna kill us… unless Mom gets to us first…" Mariana quickly texted her brothers to say that she and Callie were on the way home.

Callie texted Stef back and said she just realized they were out of bottled water and asked permission to leave the house with Mariana in order to pick some up. This was a risky move. Callie knew that Stef had a tracking app on her phone, but also knew that Stef was probably the one driving home. Therefore, Lena would get the message and would give permission. That would buy the girls a little time. If Mariana would hurry up and make her mind there would be no problem.

XXXXXXXX

Lena was currently visiting with the receptionist and Stef was ready to go. Then her phone buzzed with the text from Callie. Now, Stef knew that this morning they were not out of bottled water. She had opened a brand new package. On a hunch, she used her tracking up and found that Callie and Mariana were on their way home from somewhere. "Hey, Hon," Stef interrupted Lena, "There is something we need to deal with at home right now." Turning to the receptionist she said, "It has been great meeting you and we can't wait to see you next time." Stef then practically dragged Lena from the doctor's office.

"Stef, I can't believe you just did that! It was so rude to that lady! What is the big emergency at home?"

"It seems that Callie and Mariana are trying to beat us home. Here, you read the text. You can reply if you like, and we are not out of bottled water either, by the way."

Lena once again jumped straight to mad. "I called the kids out of class today to specifically tell them to go straight home! I should give them a piece of my mind…."

Stef heard Lena typing back, "Lena, wait! Remember you are on my phone…. We need to think about how to play this right. If we text that back to them now, they will know we are on to them. We want Callie to drive safely back to the house and into our trap. Instead tell them we will pick some up on our way home since we are already out."

XXXXXXXXX

"Callie, Mom just wrote back and said she would pick up the water." Mariana and Callie both sighed in relief. That would buy them at least ten minutes to get home first.

"Perfect! Text Brandon and let him know what is going on just in case we have less time than we think."

XXXXXXXXX

When Brandon got the text from his mom, he realized he would be in a lot of trouble if he didn't do something fast. "Talya, we will have to do this another time. My mom is on the way home right now." He and Talya had come to a new understanding recently. They were back dating and this particular day, Brandon thought they could be alone for a few hours. He was wrong. Talya kissed him one more time and then grabbed her back pack and left. Brandon's phone buzzed with the text from Mariana. It seemed that his sisters would be racing their mothers back to the house.

Then Brandon started looking for his brothers. They were not in their room so Brandon went downstairs. Jude was at the kitchen table obviously very frustrated with his math. "Will you help me, Brandon?"

"I will in just a little while, have you seen Jesus?"

"No… But Mama said you would help me with my homework. They are on the way home and I am not going to be done in time. I don't want to get in trouble."

"It will be okay, Jude. The girls are on their way home and I am sure Callie will help you. Right now, I have to find Jesus." Brandon picked up his phone to text his brother and received a new message from Mariana. It explained that they had delayed the moms a few minutes with their water story and ask him to cover if they weren't home. Great, he thought. The girls aren't home, Jesus is missing, and no one is finished with their homework (Jude was the only one to even start it).

Just then Jesus came running in the backdoor as the moms pulled in at the house. Brandon quickly went over to Jude to at least seem like he was trying to help his little brother. He wanted to know where Jesus had been, but he knew that discussion would need to be done later. Jesus, not knowing the girls' excuse went and grabbed a bottle of water before Brandon could stop him.


	2. Chapter 2

Lena and Stef walked into the house with their fingers intertwined. Lena's car was still missing so it was safe to assume that the girls were not yet home. Stef and Lena had only spent a few minutes deciding what they were going to do with their big kids and spent most the way home discussing the baby. They had not quite decided how or where they would tell the kids, but knew that it should be tonight. The exciting news alone was another to keep Lena's moods swings at bay for the moment. Right away, Stef noticed that Jesus had sweat practically dipping off of him and he was drinking a bottle of water.

"So, I see you found the water, Son? Did the girls see it, also?" Stef asked Jesus who looked back at her with confusion.

Jesus looked at his bottle of water. "I am not sure what you are talking about, Mom. I put water in the fridge yesterday. We have lots. Mariana and Callie know where it is kept… Where are the girls anyway?"

Brandon was shooting daggers with his eyes at Jesus by this time. "Jesus, you remember that the girls just said they were needing something at a store. They just left for a store a couple of minutes ago, Mom. They should be back anytime."

Lena frowned some and Stef answered, "What did they say they needed, Brandon? We texted on the way home and said we were going by a store. It just doesn't make sense they would leave after that, does it, Lena?"

"No, Stef, it does seem odd they would leave the house after our text. Unless, maybe, they were already out of the house by then. Do you think that might be what happened?"

"Yes, Lena, that would make sense. Jesus, did you see your sisters when you were out of the house a few minutes ago?"

Jesus looked shocked and then very guilty. His impulsivity did not make him an extremely good liar. "No… I mean, I was doing my homework here…"

"Oh, Lena, our middle son was doing his homework here. That would be exactly what he should been doing. I do not see any of his work, though. And he has not explained why he is so sweaty and needs a shower. I can assume that Jude and B were also inside the house, but they look comfortable." More seriously this time she said, "Try again, Jesus."

"I, uh, finished my homework and then went outside a few minutes. I didn't think it would be a problem. I didn't even leave our yard…"

"Excellent, Jesus, I would like to check over your math since you had a hard time on yesterday's work. Go get it for me." Lena and Stef made eye contact.

"Well, Mama, I was actually needing a little help getting started with it. Maybe you could help me with it in a little while?"

"I thought you said you were done with your homework?" Stef was interrupted by the girls coming in the front door. "Oh, Mama, look, our lovely daughters are now home. Jesus, you will have to wait for later, something more demanding is going to take our attention for a while. Go ahead and get your homework."

Jesus grabbed his back pack from the floor and took out his math work. He knew he was in trouble, but figured his moms could be distracted with the girls long enough to get his homework done at least. Now Brandon was the only one of the boys who had not even started on his homework, but he figured he could get his done later that evening.

Stef and Lena shepherded the girls up the stairs and decided to divide and conquer. Stef grabbed Callie and took her into Callie's room and Lena led Mariana into the master bedroom.

XXXXXX

"First, Bug, I would like to see your phone." Callie handed her phone to Stef who looked through the text messages. "Okay, so the only messages you sent this afternoon were to me. Ordinarily that would help your case, but when you were texting me, you were lying to me. I can't protect you when you don't tell me the truth. Part of being your mom is knowing where you are and what you are doing. What if something had happened?"

"Stef, nothing happened. Mariana wanted to go to the mall and we thought we would have plenty of time to get there and make before you guys finished at the doctor's office."

"Did you consider asking permission? It would have been a whole lot easier than lying. You obviously knew that both of us were just a text away."

"Would you have said yes?"

"Touché. Callie, you are making a lot of progress with trusting us and we are trusting you more also. When we find out that you have been lying and sneaking around, it is like taking a giant step back. The reality is, Love, that I tracked your phone when you texted. I knew you were not home. For that matter, I knew we were not out of water."

"Wait, then you lied to me, too."

"What do you mean?"

"You said that you would pick up water on your way home since you were out. Did you pick some up on the way home?"

"Hmmm… You are right. I did not pick up water because I knew we didn't need any. Here's the deal, though, Bug, your mama and I did not want you to drive too fast on the way home. We told you that to make sure you thought you had enough time to make it back safely. Callie, I am not sure if you understand this completely, but we love you and we only want the best for you." Stef reached out and hugged the girl tightly and kissed her on the forehead. "Now, your mama and I still need to discuss the final consequences of this escapade, but I can promise that you will not be driving anywhere for a while. I am also fairly certain your homework is not done, right?" Callie smiled a little at Stef. "Go on downstairs and do your homework at the table with your brothers."

XXXXXX

"Mariana, I know I have been sort of crazy recently, but I remember telling you to go straight home and do your homework after school. Is that what you remember?"

"Yes, Mama, but Callie and I needed something and sometimes you are really late coming back from your appointments. We thought we could just get it really fast and still be home in time. We just didn't want to bother you."

"You know that Mom is going to want to see your texts, right? Is there anything you want to tell me before she looks?"

"I sent a few texts to Brandon…. But I only sent him texts so that someone would know we were okay. Callie said she sent ones to Mom. Things have been strange around here lately and we just thought we could handle this." Lena started crying. "I am sorry, Mama!" Mariana reached out to hug Lena.

"I am sorry that my kids feel like they need to go to each other instead of to me. I am the one who has made everyone crazy. I have pushed my babies away…."

Mariana knew this was the sort of thing that Stef had warned about and watching Lena cry made her tear up some. "Mama, it isn't your fault. Callie and I knew what you said and then we went to the mall anyway. It's okay. You aren't making us crazy, I promise."

"Miss Thing, Mom and I need to talk about what we are going to do about this. For now, go join your brothers at the kitchen table and get your homework done. I love you, Mariana."

"I love you, too, Mama!"

XXXXXXXX

"Okay, Lena, what are we going to do with them?" Stef and Lena were now reclining on their bed with their fingers intertwined again. All five kids were downstairs. Four of them were doing homework and Brandon, assumed finished, was helping Jude.

"I want Callie to keep her phone. It is the only way we have to know where she is at all times. Mariana, though, should lose hers for a while." Lena was always concerned about losing Callie after she ran away.

"The phone is always effective for Miss Thing. I agree. I already told Callie that she would be losing some driving privileges. Maybe they can both be grounded."

"What they did was really not that bad… Maybe they should just be grounded until Monday. Today is Thursday, so that is just basically the weekend. It is enough to send a message, what do you think, Stef?"

"A weekend is good. What about Jesus? He also wandered off, but left his phone at home. He obviously had not done his homework either. Is a weekend good for him also?"

"Sounds perfect, only he should have to keep his phone on him at all times. Now, if we can just keep Jesus and Mariana from fighting while they are both forced to stay here the whole weekend… that would be a miracle."

"Leave that to me, Lena." Stef leaned over and kissed Lena. "We should tell them our news over dinner. Maybe we could go out somewhere? We never take the kids out… Heck, we never go out either. It will make the night special."

"Stef, if we cannot keep track of the five kids we already have, what are we doing having another? I want this baby more than anything, but six kids? We are crazy, aren't we?"

"Crazy in love with each other, with the five kids downstairs, and certainly with the one on the way. We knew going into this that it wouldn't be easy. When I look at our babies, I cannot think of which one I could live without. This baby will be the same." Stef gave Lena another kiss.

XXXXX

Sometime later, Stef and Lena walked back downstairs to their family again with their fingers intertwined. "Okay, Babies," Stef announced loudly, "First, Mariana, Jesus, and Callie, all of you are grounded until Monday. If we hear any fighting or arguing it will be extended. Mariana, we will hold on to your phone this weekend. Callie, we want your set of car keys. Any questions?"

"Mom, why am I grounded?" Jesus questioned genuinely looking confused.

Stef answered him smugly. "I know that you left the house and lied about it. Next time take your phone, though. It is there for you to communicate with us."

"What about Brandon? He didn't do his homework and he had Talya up in his room while you were gone. Is he in trouble also?" Jesus did not see the justice in getting in trouble if Brandon got off. Brandon was again looking at his brother with a murderous look.

"Is that true, Brandon?" Stef asked being fairly certain Jesus was telling the truth.

"Yes, but we were doing homework, I swear. We have a test coming up in Trig, we just thought it would be good to prepare for it together. No big deal."

"I've got this one, Stef. Brandon, you are also grounded until Monday. Jesus, that counts as arguing, you're grounding has been extended until Tuesday. Anything you need to tell us, Jude?"

Jude wasn't about to tell his mothers what Brandon was really doing upstairs with Talya. He was still trying to keep things upbeat and positive. "I just finished my homework! I am sorry I didn't finish before you got home, but I tried. Oh, and Mom, I told Mama earlier that I got an A on my history test that Mama helped me study for! It is a 93 to be exact!"

"Have we told you recently that you are our favorite?" Stef joked and Jude nodded slightly. "Well, Mama, I think this boy needs a Mama sandwich, what do you think?"

Lena and Stef got on either side of Jude and hugged him close. They both kissed his cheeks. Jude smiled. He thrived on physical affection. His older siblings knew they were loved, too, and it didn't really bother them when Jude was called the favorite. If the truth was told, he was their favorite also.

"Okay, Jude and miscreants, your mama and I are taking you all out to eat in half an hour. Jesus, take a shower, everyone else, clean up a little. We aren't going anywhere too fancy, but I would like to take clean children in clean clothes."


	3. Chapter 3

Jude went upstairs and put on dress pants, a white button up shirt, and a tie much like when he thought he was visiting Callie the first time at Girls' United. He used some gel to style his hair and then he went back downstairs to wait on the others. He figured that his moms would only be taking the kids out tonight if Lena was pregnant. Plus, Lena was not crying. All of the times the treatments didn't work, the two of them went out alone and Lena had cried for what seemed like days. Jude was a little uncertain on his feelings, but if this made Lena and Stef happy, he was also happy.

Brandon quickly changed clothes and then sat down to sneak in some homework time. He was already grounded for the weekend, but he still didn't want his moms to know that he had not even touched his homework until now. Brandon would be pretty happy if Lena was actually having a baby. In his opinion, they needed to concentrate their efforts on someone other than him for a while. Lena having a biological child of her own would be perfect.

Jesus showered and dried his hair. He picked out a button up shirt, nice jeans, and a neutral colored beanie. Jesus knew he had gotten off fairly easy for the incident this afternoon. Usually the moms took away his phone, but it appeared this time that he would get to keep it. They also had not taken his computer or his video games. Something must be up, but he had not really paid enough attention to what else was going on in his household to pinpoint what it was.

Mariana picked out a casual dress for herself and then for Callie. She knew that her sister would prefer to wear something else, but tonight was special. The Fosters had not been out to eat like this since Jude and Callie had joined the family officially. Mariana figured this meant that Lena must be pregnant. While Callie got dressed, Mariana did her own hair and make-up. She then helped Callie with hair and make-up. If Lena was having baby, Mariana hoped it would be a girl who liked doing girly things; she was not sure if she could take another brother.

Callie got all dolled up much to her dismay. She reminded Mariana several times that Stef told them they were not going anywhere super fancy, but it didn't matter. Honestly, Callie sort of enjoyed the attention that Mariana gave her. For about as long as she could remember she and Jude had been pretty much alone. Being part of this family had been different for her, but mostly different in a good way. Mariana made an excellent little sister. Callie was positive Lena was pregnant, but she didn't think it would have much impact on her life. She was nearly seventeen and had started her junior year in high school. It was not like she would be living in the house with this new child for very long.

Stef and Lena were pacing at the bottom of the stairs at the end of the thirty minute deadline. Jude, of course, was also ready and waiting. No one else had made any sort of appearance as of yet. "Brandon, Callie, Jesus, and Mariana! We are leaving in ten! Anyone not in the car is not going!" Stef yelled up the stairs.

"Stef, you are as bad as the kids… When you want them you should go upstairs and knock on their doors. You know I hate yelling."

"Sorry, Love!" Stef kissed her. "I will try harder to remember that." They both looked up as they heard footsteps on the stairs. "But look how effective my method was, we know have all three of our sons down here. We only lack the girls."

It was true. Brandon put his homework away and Jesus had paused his game and closed his computer when they heard Stef's voice. Nothing could hurry Mariana's process, though, and everyone knew it. It was taking her extra time since she wanted Callie to look just as good. About fifteen minutes later the girls came down the stairs.

"Oh, Mama, your daughters are beautiful." Stef said as she put her arms around Lena. Both girls looked up and smiled. Callie blushed a little.

"Stef, you mean our daughters are beautiful… and you are very correct."

The family had to ride in two cars. Stef took the boys and Lena took the girls. It made it easier to divide the kids that way since no one really wanted to ride in a car with Jesus and Mariana both in it. They got to the restaurant and requested a table for seven. After a short wait they were shown to their table. Despite all the chaos of the day, the meal was filled with talking and laughter like normal. Jesus ate all of his food and was still hungry, but then Mariana passed over her extra food. He ate it happily.

"Well, you all might be wondering why Mama and I asked you all to come to eat with us tonight." Stef looked around the table at her teenagers. Callie's face was a bit unreadable, but everyone else looked excited. "Do you want to tell them, Lena?"

"At the doctor's office today, we found out that I am pregnant! As I am not very far along, I would appreciate if we could keep this news in the family for now. Anyway, the baby is due in May! Your mom and I are very excited!"

The kids all gave their congratulations at once. As the mothers looked around the table, everyone seemed genuinely happy. Chatter about the baby started all over the table all at once. Stef finally held up her hands for silence. "I can see that you all have lots of comments and questions. We would love to answer them, but you will have to ask one at a time."

"Where will the baby live? I mean, I know it will live in our house, but which room?" Jude squeaked out first.

"That's a great question, Jude." Lena answered. "In a few months we will find out whether we are having a boy or a girl. Then we can discuss that question more. I know for sure that the first several months he or she will be living in Mom and I's room with us."

"Are you going to go back to work? This school year will be almost over by the time the baby gets here, but what about the next year?" Mariana asked.

"Well, Miss Thing, that is another good question. As you said, the school year should only lack a few weeks. I will take maternity leave and stay home through the end of the summer. In the fall, I will go back to work again and the baby will go to daycare. I like my job, and at this time I think both of us need to work."

Brandon cleared his throat. "I can see that you are both very happy. This is not really a question, but a sincere congratulations. I know this baby will have a nice home."

"Thank you, Brandon, we are very happy. I have wanted to have a baby for years. It is an amazing feeling to think than in a little less than nine months we will have a baby."

The kids were silent for a few moments. "Callie, Jesus? Do you either of you have any questions for Mama or me?"

"Not really. We all knew when Lena was having treatments and knew that this was the goal. I am not sure what else to ask. Congratulations." Callie said and her brother nodded his agreement even though Jesus did not really know until just now.

Lena frowned some. Callie seemed happy at first, but her last response seemed odd. "Thank you Callie and Jesus. I know that none of you will ask this, but all of you are thinking it. I am not the biological mother of any of you and I didn't even know any of you as babies. This doesn't change anything between us, though. I love you all just the same as the baby. DNA doesn't make family. Love does."

Lena's speech was intended to reassure all of her children of how much she loved them. Instead, it brought a few fears to the surface. Jude had felt comfortable with this all along, but now he had doubts. Lena was right, she was not his biological mother and she did not know him when he was a baby. Jude knew that he did not look like he belonged to Lena, but this baby would. Looking at how happy both of his moms looked though made him smile. He knew he was loved and maybe that would be enough.

Stef paid the bill and the family got back into the cars to head home. Lena and Stef both knew there would be many more days to talk to the kids coming up. Callie was the only child in their family who had ever experienced a new baby coming into a family and she adored Jude. Therefore, her reaction still weighed heavily on Lena's mind. She tried to bring it back up on the car ride home, but there really wasn't a good time. Lena knew that Callie sometimes took time to think about things and decided she could catch her alone sometime in the next week.

Even though it was only eight when the family got home, Lena was beat. She gave her goodnights to everyone and went straight up to bed. Stef gathered their five children in the family room. "Okay, Babies, we are going to have a few new ground rules around here for a while. Number one, after eight I want nothing loud. That means keep the TV volume down, wear headphones when playing games or piano. I am not saying you cannot do things, just generally keep your activities quiet.

"Number two, try not to upset Mama. We have talked about this one before, but it will now be strongly enforced. Do not fight in front of her. Try not to get in trouble at school where you will be sent to her. If you have a problem with anyone inside this house or need something, come to me. Five teenagers can be overwhelming, believe me. We need Mama to stay calm for her and the baby.

"Number three, for at least a little while, I will be assigning a few extra chores to you all. Usually Mama makes breakfast, but we were warned today of morning sickness. There are seven of us and seven days in a week. You will each have one weekday morning of getting breakfast ready for the rest of us. We will take weekends. I also do not want her carrying anything heavy. I am not always there, but I do have five extra sets of eyes that will be watching to help. Clean up after yourselves a little better. Take your backpacks upstairs on weekends without being asked. That sort of thing.

"Number four, this one is the easy one. Keep giving your mama lots of love. She might be needing extra in the coming days. Mama loves hugs and kisses as much as she loves all of you. Any questions?" The kids were all silent. "Perfect. Now, it is after eight, so you need to find quiet activities. Jude, lights out at ten. Everyone else, lights out at 11. I will be checking, but right now, I am going to see to my wife."

The kids looked at each other and sighed. This pregnancy already seemed like it was exhausting. Between Lena's recently moodiness and Stef's need to create new rules to protect Lena their lives felt a little upside down. Lena always finished her talks with the kids asking if they had any questions and really meaning it. Stef asked (as Lena had told her many times) if they had questions almost daring them to ask one. Brandon went upstairs to finish his homework. Everyone watched a movie at a low volume.

As ordered, kids were in bed on time. Lena was asleep so Stef went around to make sure everyone was asleep. She noted how peaceful each one looked and how much she loved all five of her babies as she kissed each one.


	4. Chapter 4

Lena felt good. Her morning sickness was light and had ended shortly before the end of her first trimester. Her once thin stomach was now showing a slight bulge. As Lena's doctor said, her mood also had stabilized over the last nearly five months of her pregnancy. Today she and Stef had an appointment for an ultrasound that should determine the gender of the baby.

The only thing puzzling her was the other five children. Jude's math grade had been slipping, but he would not allow her to help or even to check over his work. Mariana and Jesus had not been fighting in fact they had been eerily quiet. Callie seemed distant. She had always gone to Stef more than Lena, but now she seemed like she was avoiding Lena altogether. Brandon had completely thrown himself into his piano practice, but was only playing with his headphones in his room. Lena wasn't sure the last time she had heard any of Brandon's music.

Despite all of that, the kids had been extremely helpful. Lena could come home from grocery shopping and whichever kids were around would insist on unloading the car. Breakfast had been ready every morning without her even asking. The dishes had also been done every night without complaint. To make things even stranger, her super quiet kids had starting giving Lena spontaneous hugs, kisses, and I love yous. Even Callie, who had barely said three words to Lena, at times had initiated physical contact. She liked it, but it all made her suspicious.

XXXXXXXX

Jude was excited to see his friend, Elliot, back at school. At the end of seventh grade, Elliot had moved to his dad's house in Florida. He had said he was going to stay there for eighth grade, but now he was back in the middle of the school year. At lunch time, Elliot came and sat with Jude and Conner. "Anything new with you guys?" He asked not really wanting to discuss why he was back.

"Well, my mama is almost five months pregnant. We will find out today whether she is having a boy or a girl. Mariana and Jesus want a girl. Mom and I want a boy. Brandon, Callie, and Mama all say they don't care as long as the baby is healthy."

"You should want a girl. If it is a boy, you will be replaced for sure. Plus, you will have to share your room with a baby."

"I am not being replaced! Mama said they were keeping the baby in their room for a while. Besides, I already share my room with Jesus."

"Have a lot of things changed at your house with this baby coming?" Elliot asked snidely.

"Yes. Mama needs extra help and Mom wants us to be quiet all the time so that we don't bother Mama. It isn't so bad, though." Even as Jude defended his moms, a few of his doubts were starting to surface.

"You do realize that you are not a biological child of either of your moms, right, Jude?"

"They adopted me, and of course I remember it. I was only adopted last year. Mama says that DNA doesn't make family, love does. I know they love me." Jude reassured himself.

"Things are going to be changing for you. Do you wanna know why I moved back here to California?" Elliot took the shrugs from his friends as permission to continue. "My dad's new wife found out she was pregnant a few months before I got there. At first, my dad said to just stay out of her hair. I tried, but it wasn't good enough. By the time the baby came, my ticket back here had already been purchased. My dad said that his wife needed bonding time with her child. I got thrown back here. Face it, Foster, bio kids win every time."

"That's not true, Elliot. Brandon is Mom's bio kid and she doesn't treat him any differently than the rest of us!"

"Hmmm… Who is the only kid in your family who does not have to share a room? Is it your or Jesus?"

Jude thought about it for a moment, but he already knew the answer. "No, that would be Brandon. Jesus and I have to share a room."

"Which kid in your family has the most pictures hung on the walls of your house? Even ones from babyhood?"

"Well, Brandon, but only because they have known him the longest. He is the only one my mom had as a baby."

"Which kid in your family can screw up the most and still not be afraid of being sent away?"

Jude thought back to when Stef was shot and the twins' uncertainty. He thought about the kiss at the wedding and Callie running away. He even considered all the times in past that he himself felt uncertain about his place. "Brandon, but my moms always say that I am their favorite. That won't change."

"You are the favorite because you are the youngest. When Lena's baby comes, it will be the youngest. It will be the only one born into your family. Your pictures will be moved to make room for more pictures of the baby. Believe me. My dad had pictures of me in his office, but the moment his new son was born, my pictures were replaced. My step grandparents came in and only wanted to see the baby. They could all see how the baby looked like his parents. His wife said when she married my dad that I was her son, too and that we were a family. Now, I am nothing to either of them. DNA totally makes families. Look it up."

Jude had no more answers for Elliot and Conner wasn't sure what to say. Jude remembered Lena saying that she still loved all five kids, but Elliot said his stepmother said that before her baby, too. When the bell rang to go back to class, they went in three separate directions. Jude went to find Callie. In the time he had lived with the Fosters, Jude had become less dependent on Callie and more dependent on his moms. This conversations, though, he felt like might bother Lena and he did not want to be in trouble with Stef. Jude knew that Callie's lunch would be starting about now so he wandered over to the place she usually hung out.

"Callie, I really need to talk to you." Jude said looking at his sister with a few tears forming in his eyes.

Callie grabbed her lunch and went out to the beach with Jude. She figured they could be back by the end of her lunch and obviously Jude needed privacy. "Okay, Buddy, what's up?"

Jude briefly told her what Elliot had told him. Now he had tears streaming down his face. He was glad Callie had taken him off campus, because he was unsure he could face the other eighth graders while he was crying.

Callie was torn. For most of her life, she had thought of Jude first. This last year, Stef and Lena sort of forced her to give Jude to them. She just realized that throughout this pregnancy, she had only thought the baby was not going to change her life. Jude was strangely not considered. Now, Callie saw that Jude would be the most effected by the baby. Jude soaked up attention from every member of the family. He had been the true baby of the family until now. Plus, Callie and Brandon were now seventeen would both be out of the house within a year and a half. Jesus and Mariana would follow them in another year. Jude would still have several years with just him and the baby living at home after everyone else was gone. Callie also had her own doubts. She, too, had experiences like Elliot.

"Jude, I am not sure if you remember this or not, but our second foster home wasn't that bad. In fact, I had hopes that we might get to stay there permanently. We had food and we had two parents that seemed to love us."

"What happened to mess it up? I mean, we aren't still there so something bad must have happened. Were they the ones that left you outside all night one time?"

"No, Jude it was nothing like that. These people thought they could not have children of their own. While we were there, the mom found out she was pregnant. We moved out two weeks later. Bill said that they were unsure how they could deal with two other children and have their new baby. Then we were placed with the people who left me outside all night."

"So, what Elliot said was true? Will Lena not love us anymore when the baby comes? Will we find a new foster family again?" Jude had been calling Stef and Lena mom and mama for a while now, so it surprised Callie a little when he showed a slight disconnect.

"I am not sure, Baby. Stef and Lena are different and I know it is harder to give a kid back who is officially adopted. We will keep following Stef's rules, and maybe we can keep you from being a bother to them."

"But, Callie, I have to get Lena's help in math soon or I will be failing. If I fail math, it will bother Lena here at school and Stef will ground me. Stef doesn't help as well and sometimes doesn't have time. Mama's the best help, but if I bother her I will be grounded for sure."

Callie sighed. "I will help you with your homework tonight. Just try not to do anything to upset either mom and we will be okay. No matter what happens, know that I will always love you and we will not be separated again. We are still a packaged deal."

Jude hugged his sister tightly. "Thanks, Callie! I will see what else I can do to help around the house. Mama always appreciates that. I am sure my math grade will be fine."

XXXXXXX

Lena would be leaving for her doctor's appointment in the next hour or so, but for now she had work that needed to be done. She was reading through some emails when someone knocked on her door. "Come in!"

An eighth grader entered her office with some papers. "Here is Jude's work for today. My teacher said that you liked to have it to take home to him when he is sick. We hope that he feels better soon." After handing Lena the work, the student turned to walk away.

"Wait! Is Jude not in class? When did he leave?" One day last week Mariana went home sick from school and Stef picked her up without telling Lena. They had quite an argument that night so Lena could not imagine she would do that again.

"No one has seen him since lunch." The student shrugged. "He looked unhappy then and we thought maybe he was sick."

Lena dismissed the student and called her wife. "Stefanie Marie Foster, you better not have picked up my son from school without telling me!"

Stef was taken aback. "Calm down! Which one of your sons are you referring to, Babes? I assure you that I have not been to the school to get any of them. I am taking a late lunch to make it to our appointment as it is."

"I just got Jude's work because his teacher thinks he has gone home sick… I am sorry, Stef. I just panicked when I heard he wasn't here…."

"I just tracked Jude's phone and it appears to be on the beach with Callie's phone. I would start there. I will see you in an hour or so! Love you!"

"Thanks, Stef, I love you, too!"

Lena told her secretary that she would be back in a few moments and walked out onto the beach. She quickly spotted her two children. "Callie! Jude! I need a word with both of you in my office right now!"

Both kids jumped and looked terrified, but followed. When they got to the office, Lena told them to have a seat and closed her door. "I think you both know that the beach is off limits to students during the school day. Callie, you are still on your lunch period. I am assigning you an after school detention to be served tomorrow. The bell is getting ready to ring, so you better go on to class now. I will send the detention slip down to your room later, please get Mom to sign as I already know about it." Callie got up and gave her brother a small reassuring look as she left the office. "Jude, your classmate brought your make-up assignment to my office a little bit ago. He said you looked unhappy at lunch and then you were gone. Skipping class is not acceptable, Little Man. This doesn't seem like you. So tell me what is going on?"

Jude felt like he was in a hard spot. If he shared, he was afraid Lena would be upset and Stef would punish him. However, if he didn't share Lena would probably punish him herself. He attempted to find middle ground. "I was unhappy at lunch. Then I went to find Callie. We went to the beach to be alone so that I could talk to her. Now I feel a lot better." Jude smiled her forcefully. "I am sorry, Mama. I won't skip class again."

"Baby, if you were that unhappy, why didn't you come to me? We could have had a private conversation in here and you wouldn't be in trouble. Look at me, Jude." Jude slowly looked up. "I am your mother, Baby, tell me what is going on."

"I talked to Callie and I feel better. It is okay, Mama, I know you are busy. I will just go back to class. I am sorry that I bothered you." Jude got up to leave.

"Jude, sit back down, please. I am so glad that your sister helped you, but I also want to talk to you. When did we stop talking to each other? I feel like we have not really spoken in months. You are never a bother to me. You can tell me anything any time. Who have you been talking you that says you would bother me?"

"Elliot, Callie…. Mom?"

"Is this because I am pregnant?" Jude nodded slowly. "I am not sure what Elliot told you, but what Callie and Mom should have told you is that our family is getting bigger, not smaller. This is not just my baby, it is a baby for our whole family. I am sorry if you have not felt very included in this process, Little Man. Hear me when I say that I love you and nothing can change that." Jude was starting to cry again and Lena went over to him and let him cry on her shoulder. "Baby, I didn't know you felt like this. What did they tell you anyway that would cause you to doubt how much I love you?"

Jude was trying to control his sobs. "Mom said five kids could be overwhelming and that we should not bother you. That's why we haven't been fighting and I haven't asked you to help me with homework recently. Callie said that at our second foster home we got sent away because the lady there said she couldn't handle a baby and two kids. Elliot was sent here because his stepmother had a new son who looks like her. His dad replaced his pictures. That's why he is back."

"Oh, Jude! Your mom meant well. I will talk to her, but I think all she meant was to not purposely cause me extra trouble. You are never like that. I have been feeling kind of sad about not helping with your homework. So, see, if you are trying to not upset me, you will let me help you. Elliot's family is not like ours, we could never replace any of our kids. You may not look just like us, but that does not mean we are not family. As for Callie, I know she was acting, well, differently than usual. I will also talk to her soon. Know this, Jude, when I adopted you and changed your last name to mine, it was a forever decision. I agreed that day to love you forever and take care of you as if I gave birth to you myself. We don't take commitments lightly in this family."

"So you will help me on work again? Oh, Mama, I thought I was going to fail math if I kept getting help from Mom. She just doesn't explain it the same way as you. Thanks!"

Lena gave Jude another hug and kiss. "Well, Buddy, your mom will be here in just a few minutes. How about if we surprise her by getting everyone checked out of school so we can all experience the ultrasound together?" Jude smiled as his mother as a reply. "Then after the appointment we can go to ice cream or something. Go get your books while I call for your brothers and sisters. And Jude, no more skipping class!"


	5. Chapter 5

When Stef arrived to pick up Lena, she was surprised to see all five of her teenagers waiting by the office. "Really guys? Things have been going so smoothly, what happened today? Why are you all here? I should just ground you all now."

Lena came out of her office with her arms crossed. "I checked them out of school for the rest of the day to go to the appointment with us. It will be their first look at their baby brother or sister. I thought it would be nice to experience it as a family."

"In that case, you aren't grounded. Instead you are welcome to come with us, of course. Anything your mama wants."

Lena greeted Stef with a kiss and then whispered in her ear, "We need to talk about this…" Looking at her family Lena said, "B, I want you to drive and take all of your siblings. Mom and I are going in her car."

The kids all piled into one car. Brandon told Mariana she could sit up front to prevent arguing. Jude stayed quiet throughout the drive. He was still a little uncertain about his discussion with Lena. He knew it was the only reason Lena had decided to bring them to the appointment and that made him feel odd inside. Getting to see the baby, though, made him feel happy. Everyone else was surprised. Brandon and Jesus were just glad to be out of school for the afternoon. Callie hoped that her detention would be both forgotten and forgiven since it was not written before they left. Mariana, like Jude, was kind of excited to be included on an important day for their family.

XXXXXXX

"Stef, did you tell my children to not bother me for the duration of our pregnancy?" Lena questioned in Stef's car.

"I just laid down a few ground rules, which they have followed well. I told them to be quieter when you were resting, come to me with their fights, pick up a few extra chores for you, and to give you extra love. It has made the house better, I think. If one is bothering you, let me know, I will take care of them."

Lena realized this was just Stef's protecting instinct coming out, but also knew it needed to be discussed. "The only one bothering me right now is you… Do you remember how after you were shot I took on everything and you felt a little left out of our family? You begged me to include you and I told you to just rest?"

"How could I forget? You wouldn't even let me help bring down a box of pictures. I thought you were intent on driving me crazy. I felt like an invalid… Wait! Is that how you are feeling now?"

Lena smiled at her wife. "Yes! The last few months everything has been too quiet. I cannot believe that you got them to help you this long!"

"Our kids love their mama very much… And they are terrified of me. You knew that Callie was grounded last week, though, right?"

"No, I knew she was around more, but she never mentioned it. Actually, Callie has hardly said anything to me in months now that I think about it. When I found them out at the beach, I told her that she would have a detention to serve tomorrow…. I forgot to get that written… Anyway, I didn't even connect with her then. I figured we would do it tonight. Why was Callie grounded last week?"

"Callie was grounded for missing curfew again. You were already in bed and I didn't want to wake you. It was no big deal, really. As for the detention, I will certainly talk to her about that."

"We will talk to her Stef. We are in this together. What about the twins? They have kept their noses clean at school for the most part, but I sort of miss their fighting. I know Mariana lost her phone during dinner a few weeks ago, is there anything else?"

"I have encouraged them to fight away from you. They recently called a truce, though. I currently have Mariana's phone and Jesus's power cord to his game system. Jesus was violating my eight pm quiet rule and Mariana was giving me some attitude."

"I hate to miss taking away Miss Thing's phone… and for that matter Jesus's power cord. When are you give them back, Stef?"

"Maybe tomorrow?" Stef asked fishing for what Lena was thinking.

"Maybe tonight?" Lena hinted broadly.

"Okay, tonight. We will talk to Callie and they will get their favorite things back. Brandon's still dating Tayla. I cannot say that I like it, but he has made curfew and he has been using his earphones with his piano. He is not in trouble with me right now."

"Love, I miss Brandon's piano playing also. I was the one who got him into lessons to begin with and I really enjoy hearing him play. Maybe we could have a little less of the headphones?"

Stef considered this. It is true that Lena was more involved in that part of their son's life. "Yes. We can tell Brandon that he does not have to use headphones as much. Then we will talk to Callie and give back the twins' things."

"That just brings me to Jude. After a few conversations with Callie, a boy in his class, and you of all people, he came to the conclusion that he wouldn't have a place in our family when the baby came. His math grade has dropped almost to the at-risk of failing list. I will be taking over his homework help again. We need to have a conversation with him about skipping class and then we need to keep reassuring him of how much we love him. Jude is the reason I invited the kids to this appointment. It is my way of telling them that this baby is all of ours. They will meet him or her at the same time as we do. One more way to show even our teenage children that this baby is real. Having a baby will changed our family dynamics some, but I want the baby included in our family not as a replacement."

"Lena, I had no idea that Jude felt that way. No baby can replace any one of our other babies. If he had come to me I would have explained all of that to him. If you want to take over his homework, that would be great. I love Jude, but he just moves so slow with his work sometimes that it makes me frustrated. You have some amazing patience with our children, Babes."

"Jude doesn't just want to get the answer right on the problem. He wants to understand the concept. Once he gets it, he can complete the whole page fairly quickly. Until then he requires some extra patience and understanding. I love to help him, because when he get it he looks at me with a big smile that shows me how much he loves me. It is a special time. Jude also takes things to heart. He wouldn't want to question your rules, he would instead internalize it. That's why I always like to take a little extra time with him." Lena answered thoughtfully.

"So, to put all of this together, we need to tell Brandon to play his piano without headphones, talk to Callie about her detention, give Jesus his power cord, give Mariana her phone, talk to Jude about homework and skipping class, and also reassure all five kids of our love after this appointment tonight… That is quite a mouthful and it will be a major undertaking." Stef said smiling at Lena.

"But we can do it. That's one thing that I love about you, Stef. You are a great mom for my children. Thank you for trying to keep things sane for me over the last few months. I am back in the game now, though. No more leaving me out."

"Not sure if this helps, but I would like to point out that in the nearly five months that I was soloing with the kids, not a single one of them got themselves in a life threatening situation. More importantly, they also did not lead me into any death traps. Something must be going right."

Lena rolled her eyes. "Well, that is a silver lining. Our kids are all unhappy, but they are all living. I will keep that in mind."

They pulled into the parking garage near the doctor's office with the kids just behind them. Stef held Lena's hand for just a minute. "Are you ready, Love?"

Lena kissed her wife. "I can hardly wait! From the looks of it we are all ready to find out about this baby!"

Indeed, all of the kids were out of the car waiting on their mothers. Even the ones who up to this point did not seem incredibly excited for the new baby looked anxious. Stef got out of the car and grabbed Callie's and Jesus's hands. Lena grabbed Mariana's and Jude's hands. Brandon at first shrugged them off, but then followed the pleading looks of his moms and grabbed Jesus's and Mariana's hands. As a family they walked across the parking garage to the building. At the door, they dropped hands and walked in.

The Foster family took up most of the chairs in the small waiting room. Stef decided to take the time to make a new poll on the gender of the baby. "Okay, before we go in the room I want you all to think about your prediction. I am not taking a 'as long as it is healthy it does not matter' answer this time. Everyone needs to pick a side. Losers will make dinner tonight for the winners, okay, Mama?"

Lena rolled her eyes. "Whatever you want to do."

"Who thinks the baby will be a boy?" Stef waited to see who all raised their hands. "That would be me and Callie." Stef looked over at Jude questioningly. "Jude, I thought you were on my side and wanted a brother?"

"I changed my mind today. I would like a sister." Jude answered simply. Elliot's words still ran though his mind.

"Well, no matter. So, I can put Mama, Brandon, Jesus, Mariana, and Jude down for a girl. Seems a little heavy on the girl side. No matter. I know that we will all be happy either way anyway, right?'

Everyone gave an affirmative answer. The doctor came in and asked for Lena and Stef. She said she would come back in a little while to pick up the rest of the family. The teenagers found the wait to be long.

Callie pulled out her phone and Mariana looked over with some jealousy. Jesus and Jude started batting a wadded up piece of paper across the room at each other. Brandon picked up a magazine to read until the piece of paper hit him on the head. Both Jude and Jesus looked at him with interest. Brandon smiled, wadded up some paper, and joined their game. Pretty soon the girls also joined and a paper wad war had started.

Stef came back with the doctor to get her children and stood at the doorway horrified. "Okay, guys, it was your mama's idea to bring you here today and I would not want to upset her. I am going to close my eyes and count to ten. When I open them all the paper wads will be in the trash. Perhaps if that is the case, I will not have to discuss this issue with your mama." The kids began to pick up the paper wads and put them in the trash as quickly as they could. The receptionist looked relieved while the doctor looked on amused. Stef opened her eyes and, looked at the doctor and receptionist. "So my wife and I are having another one. We want to keep it and the littlest in this group, but any of the others we may be willing to part with…" Jude smiled while all the others rolled their eyes. "Very well then I will keep all of these ones, but let me know if you change your minds. Now, we will go see your new brother or sister on the ultrasound."

Lena was in the room with everything set up. She and Stef had already seen the baby for a few minutes before going back for the kids. When the kids got there they could see Lena smiling ear to ear. "Hello, babies, come and see your new sister!"

The announcement as well as the screen drew ohs and ahs from the group of kids. They took a family picture with the screen and each of the kids hugged and kissed Lena. Stef and Callie decided they would ride together and pick up pizza on the way home for supper. More cheers were sounded for the pizza. The doctor printed off enough ultrasound pictures for all of the kids and a few different ones for the moms.


	6. Chapter 6

Lena needed a few minutes to get cleaned up and changed. Stef threatened the kids with their lives again and then left with Callie. Once they got to the car Stef thought she could start their long evening off. "Hey, Bug, we haven't talked in a while. Mama is concerned about you. She wants us to talk to you together tonight, but I thought maybe right now we could talk about your detention."

Callie grimaced a little, "Jude needed to talk. There wasn't a good space at school. I was still on my lunch break so we went to the beach. Lena caught us and I got a detention. No big deal."

Stef was always surprised how matter-of-fact Callie was when she was pinned down on something. "Before Lena found you, she called me because she was concerned with Jude's location. She worries about you guys, you know. I tracked his phone. Sorry, Bug. That was sort of my fault, but then again, you have been in trouble for this before."

"It is okay, Stef, really. A detention is not the end of the world. Jude needs Lena and I am glad she came for him. The topic was a little out of my league anyway. I am not grounded, right?"

"I will have to discuss it with your mama, but right now I am thinking no. Next time when Jude needs to talk, take him to his mama. If nothing else tell her that you need to talk to him privately. She loves you, too. It is okay for you to also need us. Remember, we are not just here for Jude you are just as important."

Callie never knew how to answer Stef in these types of conversations. She chose to stare out the window. After a couple of minutes Stef decided to talk again. "Snug-a-bug, call the pizza place and order so that we can pick it up on the way home."

Instead of answering Stef, Callie picked up her phone and dialed. She ordered the family's regular order. Then she caught Stef's eye and ordered a dessert pizza. When Callie hung up the phone she smiled at Stef. "They said it would be ready to be picked up in fifteen minutes."

"That will be perfect. Are you ready to talk to me again, Cals?" Stef detected a small nod, but decided to keep the topic a little lighter. "Other than the detention, how are things going at school right now?"

"Okay, I guess. Class is, well, class. We are starting a poetry unit in English. Timothy is still having us write in journals. In World History, we have almost made it to World War 1. I have a project due in a couple of weeks over Great Britain's role in the war. Nothing else notable."

Again Callie had shared a few simple details and stopped. "How are things going with the kids at school?"

"Better. I still eat lunch with Mariana, Lexi, and my friend Kenzie on days I am not at the beach…" Callie threw in another little smile. "Sometimes Jesus or some of the other guys join us. Talya leaves both Mariana and I alone now that she is back with Brandon. That's a relief at least."

"What do you think about your brother dating Talya? You and Talya didn't exactly hit it off well in the beginning. And there was a period of time that you had crush on Brandon yourself." Stef sort of teased her on the last part.

"I have no idea what I was thinking. Seriously, Stef… Brandon is my brother and it wasn't exactly a crush. More like he was nice to me and I had never had an older brother before. I am still not fond of Talya, but as long as B doesn't marry her it will be okay. At least she is leaving us alone." Callie opened up a bit on the last question due to Stef's teasing.

"Any other boys in the picture right now? A potential boyfriend, perhaps?"

"Not really. I still text with Wyatt some and I have some guy friends. I do not need a boyfriend right now. One day, but not now. I have been out with a few guys, but only as friends."

"Good answer. Callie, I know you hate this type of conversation, but I am going to go there anyway. Are you happy with us?"

"Yes." Callie stopped there, but after enough looks from Stef sighed and continued. "This is the first family I have had in years. It is a major adjustment, but I am happy. Jude is still just soaking it all up. Are you happy that you adopted Jude and me?"

"Everyday."

XXXXXXXXXX

Lena had the other four kids in her car. They drove in awkward silence for about the first half of the drive. Then, Lena had enough. "I am not sure what Mom told you before she left, but I want to hear your voices. Either talk to me or with each other, please! I am also not sure what she threatened you with, but I will promise that I will ground anyone who doesn't start talking…"

"Mom threatened our lives. Is grounding worse than death, Mariana?" Jude quipped and was immediately shoved into Jesus. Jesus then yelled at Mariana. The ice was broken and Lena enjoyed the chaos the entire way home.

XXXXX

The pizza went over well and the clean-up was quick. Over dinner, Lena made it clear to the kids that she was back being on top of things. She insisted that Stef tell the teenagers that her ground rules were now lifted. Lena also reassured the teenagers that they were loved. Even to the point that most were rolling their eyes.

After dinner, Stef and Lena decided to start at the top since Brandon's conversation would be the easiest. "B, Mom and I want to talk to you for a minute in your room. Is that okay?"

Brandon looked surprised and wondered what they knew. "Sure. Anytime."

They all walked in and sat down on his bed. "You are not in trouble. I have just been missing your piano playing. Is there any way you could start playing without your headphones sometimes? Maybe downstairs at the real piano since our quiet hours are now at ten? Mom had a great idea to make the house quiet for me, but I really want to hear you play."

Brandon breathed a sigh of relief. "I would love to play for you sometime, but maybe not tonight. I have homework to do and I kind of want to call Talya, if that is okay."

"No problem, Brandon. One more thing. We want you to know that your new little sister is not going to change our relationship with you. You are my son and you always will be. We love you, Brandon." Lena's eyes got teary while she was talking.

"Mama, I will say the same thing as always. There is enough to go around. I am seventeen now. I am okay with things and I love you too."

Stef and Lena both hugged their oldest son before leaving his room. They were both feeling rather content about how things went with Brandon and it gave them motivation for the next one, Callie. In the meantime, Brandon was just happy that his moms didn't check on his piano closer as it was missing from his room….

The women knocked on their daughters' door. Both girls were in there and they asked Mariana to go to her homework downstairs. Mariana figured that meant Callie was in trouble and not her so she cleared out. "Cals, Mom and I talked about your conversation on the way home. You are not grounded, but the detention stands."

"I understand, Lena, and I am fine with that." Callie was anxious to have this conversation done. "Is that all you needed. I have a lot of homework and stuff…"

The moms made eye contact and Stef decided to talk, "No that is not it. Tell us about your second foster home. The one you told Jude about when he came to talk to you."

Callie looked extremely uncomfortable. She knew, however, that neither of her mothers were going anywhere until she told them. Callie took a deep breath and gathered her wits to talk about this experience with no emotion. "The second foster home seemed good. They fed us and we didn't get hit. I knew that the first foster home had not worked out, but these people talked about adoption. The foster parents thought they couldn't have children. After we were there and settled for almost a year, the foster mother found out she was pregnant. Jude and I moved out pretty quickly. She just couldn't take care of us and her baby." Lena was crying now and it was causing Callie to lose her battle with emotions as well. "It is no big deal, really, Mama."

Stef was too shocked to cry. "Oh, Bug! I hope that you told Jude that we aren't like that. Mama already knew we have five children when she decided to have a baby..." Stef received a glare from Lena. "I meant when we decided, Love. We are not getting rid of any of our kids, including you." With this statement, Stef touched Callie's nose.

Lena was wiping away her tears. "Callie, when you were adopted, we committed to having your as our daughter for all time. We are committed to you, not just to raising you to eighteen or getting you through school. Mom and I both still call our mothers now and we are adults. As a matter of fact, they are both expecting calls from us tonight. You may only have a short period time left that you are planning on living here, but this baby is going to be your sister forever. Just like Jude she will be looking up to you and eventually be calling you for advice on how to handle your old, insane mother and me."

Callie giggled a little as it was Stef's turn to glare. "I am the crazy one, really? I didn't bring this one home from juvie nor am I pregnant when I have five teenagers. Think carefully, Love."

Callie looked up innocently. "You guys can both be crazy. It doesn't have to be just one or the other."

The mothers looked at each other and then at their oldest daughter. They grabbed her from both sides putting her in a Mama sandwich. Both Stef and Lena hugged and kissed their daughter. Callie genuinely smiled.

"Well, Bug, I speak for both of us when I say that we love you."

"That's good because I love both of my moms also."

"And Callie, you know you can talk to me any time, right? I feel like we haven't been connecting recently and I just want to hear from you sometimes. Okay?"

"Sure, Lena. We can find some time."

The moms left the room to get Mariana's phone and catch up to her downstairs. "Hey, Miss Thing, do you have a minute to spend with your mom and me?"

Mariana figured she really didn't have a choice. "Sure. What's up?"

Stef got Mariana's phone out of her pocket. "First, I have something to give back to you." Mariana grabbed her phone quickly smiling back up at her moms. "Mama and I are giving your phone back, but no more sass, right?"

"Right. Thanks. Oh, and I am so excited that the baby is a girl. I am going to paint her nails and do her hair. I cannot wait to have a baby sister! One thing, though, my room isn't big enough for one more person. Where are we going to put her?"

"Mom and I haven't really talked about that yet. Like we said before, she will be staying in our room for a while. Then we will just have to see. I know that you will be a great big sister. You have been amazing with Jude. We love you, Miss Thing."

"I love you guys, too."

"Another easy one down. Now, on to Jesus." After a few minutes of searching the house, they could still not find their son. Stef tracked his phone to the kitchen table. "He must not actually want his power cord back tonight, Lena."

"Well, he didn't ask permission and it is past seven. That would be a logical conclusion, Stef. Should we skip him and go to Jude, wait for him, or find out if anyone knows where he went?"

Then the heard the door open and Jesus came in with his skateboard. He glanced around and decided that he had made it without an issue. Then, both of his mothers rounded the corner.

"Welcome back home, son. We were just looking for you, did you forget your phone again?" Stef snapped at him.

"Mom, Mama… I was just going to go out for a minute. Without my phone I must have lost track of time. No big deal, right?" Jesus did not hide his guilt well.

Lena started thinking back over the last five months. Jesus had been missing many evenings when she thought about it. He usually made it for dinner, but often disappeared afterward. Working off of suspicion she started talking. "Jesus, have you been seeing someone that we don't know about? Maybe like Ana?"

Jesus looked surprised. "Maybe, but it isn't like you are thinking. She isn't asking for money and she is trying to do things the right way. I just had some questions for her and…"

Stef was not looking pleased, "And you knew that we would never agree to let you go see her on your own so you have been sneaking out for months. Am I right?"

"Yes, but she is doing better. I wasn't in danger. Believe me, Moms. I wouldn't do something that stupid again."

"Oh, my dear middle son. I feel like we have had this conversation so many times before. Your secret meetings end today. We were going to give back your power cord today, but now I think we will hold on to it. We will also be taking your skateboard. I realized you have not been taking your phone because you did not want me to know where you went. We can only protect you when you are honest with us. Ana might be doing better, but she has put you in danger before."

"Jesus, what kinds of questions did you have that you thought only Ana could answer?" Lena asked already thinking about his answer.

"I just wanted to know what it was like for Ana when she was pregnant with Mariana and me. I wanted to know if we had other brothers and sisters that we have not met. I wanted to know if she had pictures that she had never given to us. This baby thing really has me thinking about my past."

"Those are all things that I can understand that you would want to know. Tell, me, though, did you get your answers?" Lena questioned also being able to predict this answer.

"Not really." Jesus paused and sighed. "I have been meeting with Ana a few days each week for months and she has given me almost no information. She has just kept putting off telling me anything. Ana says that maybe when I come back another day she will remember something or find something. I kept going back because I want to have a connection with her. After all, Ana is my birth mother."

Lena looked at her son. It had been an emotional day, but it was not over. "Jesus, I couldn't love you any more if I gave birth to you myself. You are my son. I am sorry that I have not been as involved recently as I would like. That stops today. If you want to keep meeting with Ana, I will find a time to go with you. If not, that is also fine. I am not keeping your birth mom from you, but I do want to keep you safe. When I say safe, I mean both physically and emotionally. I agree with your mom on keeping your power cord and your skateboard. You will also be coming home from school with me every day in the car and you will have no permission to leave the house without one of us for a while." Lena patted his arm. "One more thing, Bud. Your mom and I wanted to let you know that we love you. We are having a baby, but that does not change our love for you."

Jesus had been looking at the ground and now he looked back up at Lena and then at Stef. "I love you, also. Just because I went looking for Ana again doesn't mean that I don't love you and love being part of this family."

"Good to know, son. Okay, Mama, this leaves us with the little one. Ready?" Lena grabbed Stef's hand to show that she was ready. Together they walked up the stairs and knocked on Jude's door.

Jude was not surprised to see them. He was perceptive and knew his moms were making the rounds of their kids. He also knew that Lena would have already told Stef about him skipping class and that he might be in some trouble for it. So, he opened the door with a little bit of dread and a little bit of comfort.

Stef smiled at the boy as they entered. "Good evening, Little Man. Sorry it has taken us this long to make it up here. We need to talk a little bit more about today."

"I won't skip class again." Jude said jumping straight to the point. "And I am going to need Mama's help with my math homework tonight. We have a test coming up and I want to understand this stuff."

"All well and good, but skipping class comes with a consequence." Jude nodded at Lena sadly. "However, you might get off a little easier this time depending on how you look at things. You were checked out school before the end of the class that you were skipping. As your vice principal, I will not be investigating that situation further and I am going to give you a warning on your trip to the beach. As your mothers we decided to give you a consequence at home; you are grounded for a few days. I believe for the first time. That means you are not going anywhere after school nor are you having any friends over here. Thanks to Jesus, we are also still holding on the cord for your video games. Understand that if this happens again you are looking at several days of after school detention and more restrictions at home."

"Jude, I also want to apologize to you. I am sorry that I gave you the idea that you were a bother to either of us or that we could replace you. In reality, Mama and I both knew we had five teenagers before we decided to have a baby. Your new baby sister can never change the way we feel about you. I promise you that both of us will make time to talk to you anytime you need it. Will you promise me that next time you these types of feelings you will come talk to one of us?"

Jude answered very quietly. "Yes. I promise."

"I am going to leave you two alone now so that Jude can get his homework done. I love you, Little Man!" Stef knew that Jude would need to hear all of this again many times in the coming days, but for now he knew.

Jude smiled at Stef. "I love you, too, Mom!"


	7. Chapter 7

Lena felt uncomfortable and awkward. She now had less than two weeks before her newest daughter was due. It was becoming hard to sleep at night and Lena was taking more frequent naps. Stef had found that Lena slept well when they were together and even better with physical touch. As a result she had been meeting Lena at home for lunch for a little "other stuff" and a nap nearly every day.

Lena had been feeling the baby move around for several months, but she was thrilled when Stef was able to feel it two months ago after one of their naps. Simply feeling their child move brought the two women happiness. Since then, Stef had taken to talking to the baby through Lena's belly and even kissing it good bye as if her daughter would feel it. A month or so later, Lena let each of the kids feel their sister kick. None, except Callie, had experienced that before. For Callie, it brought back memories of Jude's birth and began her bond with her baby sister.

Last week the staff at the school had given Lena and Stef a diaper shower. Lena felt strongly about using cloth diapers and the staff had gone together to buy the whole system of the requested brand. Stef was surprised how many families from the school also attended the shower and brought presents. They both felt extremely happy for the outpouring of support offered from their Anchorage Beach family.

Several of Stef's coworkers had also sent presents. Mike had been supportive and Stef suspected that he was the one that initiated the pool of money that bought the baby's crib. Captain Roberts told Stef that when the baby came she would have a mandatory two week of paid parenting leave. Stef was thankful for the time off and even more thankful that it would be paid.

Dana, Lena's mother, would be arriving in a few days and was planning to stay for the duration with Stuart following in another week or so. Brandon volunteered to move to the family room temporarily to allow Dana to have his room when she came. Likewise, Stef's mom was also planning on being there for the birth. All three grandparents had been sending presents for months. If it had not been for Mariana and Jude's help sorting everything, Lena thought she would be going crazy.

Jesus and Callie had been constructing furniture. Stef loved the interest they were both taking and the bond that was forming between them. So far, they had put together a bassinette, a swing, and a crib. The bassinette had been rough, but since then they developed a plan of Callie reading the directions. Lena often teased the two that they could find paying jobs constructing baby furniture for other people.

Everything seemed like it was in place. Except one thing. "Lena, we have to come to an agreement on a name for this kid! She could come any day now and at this point she would only have a last name. You may not realize this, but when you get one this way, they don't come pre-named like the others." Stef and Lena were lounging in the family room getting some deserved time together.

Lena took the time to glare a little at her wife. "I am aware of needing a name for her, we just haven't found the right one."

"We have seen every name out there, Love. We have looked through books, the kids have looked online, and our parents have suggested every name that has been in our families for generations. What is left?"

"The perfect name. It is out there, I am positive. Before tonight we will settle on a name. Text the kids and tell them to get here right now. No one leaves until we have a name."

"I never thought I would hear you suggest that I text the kids while they are at school on a Tuesday and tell them skip out on class and come home. You do realize that we are both on lunch break now, right?"

"Oh, right, we want our kids to go to school and become educated people. Plus, we came home to just spend time together. Okay, we will have the kids come straight home after school. Still no one leaves until we have found the perfect name. Surely with all seven of us searching together it will be found."

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Stef did text the kids sometime later to tell them that Lena was not going to be back at work that day and that they needed to come straight home after school. She decided it was not the time to mention they would all be sequestered to the family room until Lena heard the "perfect name." The kids had almost given up on the baby being named and certainly would not come straight home for that assignment.

Following Stef's instructions the teenagers did come home directly. They were met by Lena who had made cookies and popcorn for them. Stef came in with a variety of the kid's favorite drinks. Now they were suspicious. "Mama, you usually don't want us to have snacks like this. What is going on? Is Grandma coming early?" Jesus questioned grabbing a cookie and a Coke.

"No, it is just us tonight. I want you to all go find a spot and get comfortable in the family room. Before you ask, none of you are in trouble as far as I know. Mom and I just have a task that we need to work on as a family tonight."

The kids grabbed snacks and found their way into the family room. It took some time to get everyone settled in. There was a little arguing over spots, pillows, and blankets. When everything was quiet Lena decided to explain. "You have all done a fantastic job helping us get ready for this baby. There is only one more major decision that has to be made soon. Your sister needs a name. Today is the day we get it figured out. We have brought all of you in here and given you food, now we are all working together to name your sister."

The kids looked uncomfortable and started to open their mouths with excuses of other places they needed to be. Stef held up her hands for quiet. "We have cleared the calendar for tonight. It is a mom override of any previously scheduled activities. We are serious about coming up with a name today and we love you all so much that we would like you involved."

"But Mom," Mariana said looking pathetic, "we have already tried coming up with names. You guys haven't liked any of my suggestions. Why do we have to do this?"

"The baby could come any day and as I stated to your mama, she is not coming pre-named."

"How about if all of you come up with one name that you really like and we make a short list to choose from? I will give you guys fifteen minutes or so to snack and find a name. We will meet back here, okay, Loves?"

The kids scattered around the house at Lena's suggestion. Stef and Lena also separated to come up with a name. Pretty soon the snacks were all gone and the whole family was back in the family room. At first everyone just looked at each other a little unsure how to proceed.

Stef took charge and found a piece of paper to write each person's choice. When she was done she read it back to the family to make sure it was right. "Brandon said Leya. Callie said Madeline. Mariana said Brooklyn. Jesus said Madison. Jude said Star. Mama and I did not submit names." The family once again looked a little overwhelmed.

"Madison and Madeline are much the same. I sort of like Madeline, but what if we made it Madelyn with the 'lyn' part coming from Brooklyn?" Lena thought aloud.

"I am not stuck on Leya, I just wanted 'Lena' sort of in her name. That was the best I came up with." Brandon volunteered.

"What if we spelled it Madalen? That would include 'Lena' only putting the 'a' before the 'l'?" Jude said hopping up.

"Madalen. It is spelled a little differently, but I like it. Madalen Adams Foster. It sounds nice together. Plus, it starts off like Mariana's name, too. I think we have found a first name. What about a middle name?" Lena said excitedly.

"Jude said Star, but I don't think it is quite right. Someone look in the book and see if there are any names that mean star that are a little different." Stef was now into this and thinking.

"What about Stella?" Mariana asked looking up from her laptop. "That means star."

"Madalen Stella Adams Foster… Not quite keep looking."

"Celestia. It has the 'ste' of Stef." Brandon suggested.

"And the C for Callie." Stef added.

"Madalen Celestia Adams Foster. It is a mouthful, but it is perfect. See guys, it isn't so bad to spend the afternoon together. Now that our task is done, you are all dismissed to whatever plans you trying to escape to before. Mom and I will be upstairs. You will all be out, yes?"

The Foster teenagers all looked at each other and then back at Lena. After throwing themselves into the naming of their sister, all their old plans had been forgotten or already missed. Now they were all free and unsure what to do with their time.

"Your mama just gave all of you permission to leave the house. I will throw in money for dinner and an extra hour of freedom. Take your phones and be safe." With that, Stef laid out money and walked with Lena up the stairs.

"I think they are trying to get rid of us…" Mariana said in a dismayed tone.

"You think?" Brandon questioned laughing. "Well, I am headed to Tayla's anyone want to be dropped off anywhere on the way?"

"Would you take me to Conner's house?" Jude asked.

"No problem. Jesus, Mariana? Either of you need a ride?"

"I think Callie and I are going to meet some people at the mall." Mariana stated looking up from her phone. She had been busy texting since gaining extra freedom.

"Cals, will you take me to the mall, also? Emma and I would like to catch a movie. In fact if we leave right now we can make it to the 4:30 showing and still get the matinee price."

"Sure, Jesus." Callie looked at her watch. Surprisingly it was just after four. "How about if we all meet up at the food court after your movie. Brandon and Jude, too. Let's say seven? That will give us a little less than an hour. I have a plan."


	8. Chapter 8

When Callie, Mariana, and Jesus pulled up at the mall, Jesus immediately left them to find Emma. Mariana was curious what Callie was thinking as they walked into the mall. "Okay, Cals, we are alone now. Tell me what our plan is so we can start working on it."

"Well, Moms have gotten plenty of diapers, many clothes, and the basic furniture for Madalen. I think, though, she needs a special blanket from her big sisters and brothers. I saw a kiosk here in the mall that could put pictures onto cloth. I was thinking we could give them some family pictures from our phones and put them on quilt blocks. We can buy more fabric while we are here and then take it all to the craft store and see if they can quilt it for us tonight. When we meet the boys, all we will lack is getting fabric pens and having everyone write a short message. What do you think?"

"I think that we have no time to spare if we are going to get all of this done in the next two and half hours." With that Mariana and Callie headed toward the kiosk.

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Nothing had gone quite according to Callie's plan. The kiosk required the pictures to be printed. Therefore the girls had to go find a place to print their pictures in the mall. By the time they got back there was a line. They ordered their quilt blocks and were told it could take up to thirty minutes. Callie thought fast and said they come back and pick up their order.

Both girls went into the fabric store and started looking around. Neither were quite sure what type of fabric they would need for a quilt. Once they were pointed in the right direction, they saw that this store had hundreds of possibilities. It took longer than half an hour to choose the colors and fabrics. Callie and Mariana finally settled on Mariana's favorite baby pink, Callie's favorite purple, and a little green, yellow, and blue thrown in for extra color. They also found a fabric for the back that used all of the colors. While Callie waited in line to check out, Mariana found the pastel fabric pens.

Getting back to the kiosk, Callie realized that the boys would now be waiting for them in the food court. The girls quickly filled the boys in on their plan. As a group, the siblings took the quilt pieces to the craft store. To their dismay, they were told that the quilt would not be finished until tomorrow evening and was going to cost a little more than Callie had in mind. Brandon said he could cover it.

The kids had a quick meeting and decided to go ahead and write on quilt blocks so that when it was done just one person could come pick it up. The lady in the craft store let them help her lay it out. She said she would embroidery Madalen's full name on a block in the center. All of the kids worked on the order of the pictures until they were all satisfied.

Then Brandon checked his phone. "Uh guys… It is almost eight. We already have text from Mom and we need to get home now.

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At 7:45 Stef and Lena were both downstairs snacking and waiting for their babies. Stef tracked all their phones to the mall so she texted to see if she could speed up their return. Lena had not really approved the kids staying out until eight on a school night when they had not even started on their homework. Stef got a reply back from Mariana and one back from Jude. They both said they were running late, but would be home soon.

When the kids pulled up it was a few minutes past eight. They had made an agreement that no one was going to tell the moms about the quilt. It was going to be tricky to avoid trouble and keep the secret.

Stef and Lena were sitting on the stairs waiting for the kids. When they heard the door opening Stef stood up and helped her wife up. "So, there are our darling children. Just a few minutes past their hour curfew extension. Any explanation?"

"I was at Talya's house and I lost track of time. When I got your text, I went by Conner's house for Jude and now we are back. Sorry, Mom." Brandon said looking repentant.

"We were at the mall and I found a bunch of things to try on. Then the lines were really long so we were late, but we did text. You go the text, right, Mom?" Mariana looked hopefully up at her moms.

"Yes, I got a text from Mariana and from Jude. I assume the rest of you were with one of those two, correct?" Stef asked and all the kids nodded. "Here's the thing, B, I was not intent on grounding you today, but I know you were at the mall. So was everyone else. And Mari, you didn't come back home with bags. Anyone else have anything to say?"

All the kids were silent. It seemed pointless to incriminate themselves any further when they really were up to good things. Plus, Callie knew that Brandon was already busted. If she started talking also no one could go pick up the blanket tomorrow.

"Most of you will not be in trouble." Lena decided to get that out there. "This would be a good time for all of you to get working on your homework. Mom and I are going to talk for a few minutes and we will get back to you. In fact, if you could all go work in the family room or the kitchen it would be best."

The kids silently grabbed their book bags to start their homework. The Moms tried to talk quietly in the entry way. "Stef, we told them to leave the house. You told them they could stay out an extra hour. They were just five or so minutes late. It was a one-time thing."

"Ordinarily I would agree with you, but both Mariana and Brandon lied to me. Why would Brandon not tell us he was at the mall? I cannot even be sure what they were really doing there."

"So we ask them what they were really doing. I am not grounding any of them for this. The most I am willing to do is take keys from the two drivers if we cannot get the truth. If they tell us what is going on, I think we should just leave it. They are safe at home and now you understand why I do not usually give the kids general permission without finding out their plans."

The two moms walked to where Callie and Brandon were working at the table. "Bug and B, we know that you all were at the mall. Will you guys tell me what you were doing there? I am looking for the truth this time."

"Mom, Mama," Stef saw this as a red flag, Callie rarely used those titles and it was usually to get on their good side. "You are right. We were all at the mall and we were all together, but only for the last hour so. No one was doing anything illegal. Trust me, we were just having some sibling bonding time. No big deal."

"We would love to trust you, Callie, but you still aren't tell us what was going on. Am I going to have my question answered?" Both of the seventeen year olds looked at Stef and shook their heads. "Fine, Mama and I want your car keys. You aren't grounded, you both just lost your driving privileges. Everyone else is clear. Get your homework done."

Lena felt a little bad for Callie and Brandon, but also wondered what they were hiding. She hoped that by taking their keys someone would break. It had been an hour and still nothing. After talking to them, both of those two had gone to work upstairs. Lena now was just helping Jude by checking his work. "Great job, Baby! You only missed this one and I think if you look carefully you will see your mistake." Jude erased the problem and reworked it. "That's perfect! I have a question for you. What we were doing at the mall today? I thought you would go to Conner's house."

"I did go to Conner's house. Then, Brandon picked me up and we met the others at the mall. We were doing something…. Nothing bad. I really can't talk about it."

"Okay, Bud. You know if there is anything more, you can come tell me anytime, right?"

"I know."

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The kids had to walk home from school the next day. Lena had gone home at lunch again and had not made it back to school. They all understood that she was exhausted and none of them minded walking on days as nice as this one.

"Okay, either Callie or I need to get keys to get out of the house to go get the quilt tonight. If Lena takes a nap, it will be simple. If she stays awake, it might get more complicated. Jude, I need you to ask Lena to help you with your homework like normal. The rest of us will play it by ear."

Lena was awake when they got home and Stef was also around. Jude asked for help on his homework and Lena was happy to help him. Jesus and Mariana volunteered to make dinner. Stef wondered what Jesus could make, but was more than happy to allow it. Callie finished her homework and said she was going to lay down before dinner. Lena yawned and said that sounded nice. Stef followed Lena up the stairs. As soon as Brandon thought the two moms could be asleep he took a set of keys to Callie.

"Go and be back as soon as you can. Here is enough money to pay for the quilt. I didn't help with the rest, but I can pay for this part. We will cover for you, but leave your phone here."

Callie wondered where Brandon got that much money, but shrugged it off to get to her task at hand. She knew that it took nearly fifteen minutes to get to the mall and she had no time to waste.

Jesus and Mariana were not getting along very well in the kitchen. Jesus claimed that he only volunteered to distract his moms and he was not intending to do anything now that they were upstairs. Jude finally went to help with dinner. As smells came from the kitchen, the moms woke up and came back down the stairs.

"Is Callie still sleeping?" Lena asked with some concern.

"I guess so. She was up kind of late last night trying to get her reading assignment done." Mariana admitted.

"Maybe I should go check on her…" Stef started for the stairs.

Brandon interrupted "I am already heading upstairs, Mom, I will do it."

Stef was alarmed. She casually pulled out her phone to track Callie's phone and it was in the house. "Tell her it is time to get up. If she sleeps too much now, she won't sleep tonight."

Brandon wasn't sure what to do, but he thought as he walked up the stairs. In case a mom was nearby, Brandon knocked on Callie's door before he went in. He stayed in there a few minutes and then walked back out and shut the door. Lena met him at the bottom of the stairs. "Is she up?"

"Yes. She was awake when I got there. She is reading for Timothy's class and writing in her journal. That can take some time, you know."

"Yes, I know about Timothy's classes." Lena was suspicious and went to find Jude. "I know that you will say that you can't talk about this again. What if I ask you a few questions and you either nod yes or shake your head no?" Jude tentatively nodded yes. "Do you love me?" Lena asking to test him and he nodded happily while she grinned. "Good. Do you have any more homework?" Jude shook his head for no. "Did you guys buy things at the mall yesterday?" Jude nodded yes. "Did you bring them home with you?" Jude shook his head. "Will you bring it home soon?" Another yes. "Is it something that will upset Mom or me?" Jude looked unsure and gave a small no. "Were you all in on whatever this is?" Jude nodded. "Thanks, Baby. I have one more question. Is Callie at home right now?" Jude's eyes became wide. "That answered my question."

Lena noticed now that her car was missing from the driveway and she went to find Stef. "Callie is not here. I just checked for my car and it is also gone. I am pretty sure that she is at the mall. Can you verify that for me?"

Stef pulled her phone back out. "Her phone is in the house. Callie snuck out, took the car without permission, and has left her phone at home. How do you know that she is at the mall?"

"Jude did not tell me anything. He did not tell me that the kids bought something at the mall yesterday. He did not tell me that it will not upset us when we find out about it. He did not tell me that Callie was not at home. From the conversation I didn't not have with him, I concluded that Callie went back to the mall for whatever it was that did not come home with them last night."

"I hope that Madalen turns out just as great as Jude… Speaking of Jude, is he doing okay now? He has been helping with getting everything set up, but maybe we could do something special for him tomorrow? I just feel like letting him know again that we have not forgotten him."

"We also have the ingredients for pancakes. I could make some tomorrow morning, that's his favorite breakfast. If I am not up for it, will you do it?" Lena had been feeling tired all week. Right now she felt like she could take on everything, but she could not tell how she would feel tomorrow morning.

"Sure, Love. Maybe we can get him up a few minutes early and the two of us could just eat with him? The time just feels like it is going so fast. Our baby boy is already fourteen." Stef said becoming a little sentimental.

"I cannot believe that this boy that I love with my whole heart has only been with us for a little less than two years. Sometimes I feel like he has been here forever."

"I know the feeling. Callie and Jude were exactly what we were missing. I wish that we had found them earlier, but maybe we wouldn't have been ready. That brings us back to Callie. She was labelled as a flight risk when she ran away last year. Even though it seems like she has not really run this time, it is a big step back in our trust. I love Callie. I cannot imagine our family without her. But…"

Lena interrupted Stef with a slight sigh. "Sometimes you don't know what to do with her. Detentions and groundings are neither one really fixing the situation. Callie serves out her time quietly and then when the situation presents itself she might make the same decision again. But, Stef, she is not the same kid that I met nearly two years ago in juvie. She isn't even the same kid as when she came back from Girl's United a year ago. Callie talks to us now. She has been initiating touch. I catch her eyes and she smiles at me. Callie's grades are excellent. She is blossoming in our care and is bonding with all of her siblings now. Callie even gave Jude to us. Honestly, Stef, she reminds me of you…"

"You're right, Lena." Stef relented. "And if you are right about the mall we can expect her back any moment. What should we do about this?"

"We should first ask for a reasonable explanation. If she cannot provide one, we will talk more then. I think I hear a car." Lena glanced out a window to confirm it was Callie pulling in. "Well, Mom, are you ready?"

"Ready as ever, Mama. Let's go get her."


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews! I don't think I can get a home birth into this story, but I do refer to Jude being born at home. **

Callie had been gone close to an hour. She had used Brandon's money to pay for the quilt and it was perfect. She thought it was the best way to welcome a new family member into this nontraditional family. Madalen would always be a Foster. She would grow up in the love and nurture of both of her moms from birth. Callie smiled as she pulled into the driveway. She could hardly wait to show the other kids and to give it to the baby. In the joy of the moment, Callie had forgotten that she had snuck out of the house without her phone and that she would be in trouble when she returned.

Stef and Lena met Callie at the door looking stern. "Good evening, Callie. Mama said that we needed to ask you for a reasonable explanation of where you have been before we can decided your fate. So, shoot."

Lena interfered. "Cals, what Mom is trying to say is that we need to know where you were and why you left without permission. Do you think you could fill us in?"

"Moms, I know this looks bad, but if I could have a minute with the others we would be glad to explain about today as well as last night. Will that be okay?"

"No!" Stef was elbowed by her wife. "I mean, yes? Dinner is ready right now. You guys talk for a minute and we will reconvene after we eat. Sound good?"

Callie quickly got the others together and showed them the quilt. Originally, the teens were going to give the blanket to Madalen after her birth. Under the circumstances they agreed Callie would be better off if they presented it to the moms tonight. Mariana took the quilt to wrap upstairs and the others helped set the table and sat down to eat.

Dinner was fairly quiet. Stef kept eyeing Callie. Callie could feel the looks she was getting and turned to look at anyone else. Lena tried to get Stef's attention, but to no avail. Due to the uncomfortable nature of the meal, it was over in record time. Before the clean-up, Mariana handed the wrapped gift to her mothers.

Lena and Stef carefully unwrapped the box and opened it. As Lena took the quilt out her eyes filled with tears. She looked over at her wife who was also crying. "Look, it's a picture of all of us at our wedding!"

"And over here is a picture of the kids with the ultrasound! Thanks for making me take of the kids!"

"No problem, Stef. I see all five of their school pictures from this year… and is that a little message from each one of you?" The kids nodded and smiled.

"And in the corner there is a picture of our lovely daughters making hideous faces and over here is a picture of our handsome sons doing the same. If you all aren't careful you know that your faces can stick like that, right?"

"It has her name on it! Right there in the middle! This is the most amazing gift. How did you guys come up with it?"

"It was Callie's idea." Mariana offered.

"This is why we were late last night. We lost track of time working on it. The quilting also took longer than I thought, I had to go back and pick it up today. That's why I had to leave the house." Callie admitted. "I am sorry about sneaking out, by the way. I know we have been working on trust and this was not the best move."

"Bug, this is certainly a step back in the trust factor, but it is a huge leap forward with our goal of becoming a family." Stef hugged Callie close. "How did you come up with this idea?"

"When my mom was pregnant with Jude, she made him a blanket. She let me help with it some. It just felt right, like a tradition or something. The only other big thing I remember with Jude's birth is that he was born at home. I would prefer not to do that again."

"You and me both." Lena answered with a little laugh. "Thank you for the blanket, all of you. It makes me very happy to know that you all love Madalen and Mom and I for that matter so much. I love each and every one of you also." Lena hugged and kissed each of her kids. "Now, though, Mom and I really need to talk for a minute upstairs. Callie, don't go too far because we will want to talk to you when we are done."

Lena and Stef took the quilt and walked up the stairs. Callie grabbed Brandon. "There is something bothering me about your extra money. Mariana and I bought the other supplies with some of our savings and then hit up you all for part of the money. You do not have a part-time job and your birthday was several months ago. Where did you get all that money in cash that you paid for the quilt to be finished?"

"Look, Callie, I would love to tell you, but I really can't. Not now, anyway. I just had some extra cash. Take it as a gift." Brandon started up the stairs with Callie in pursuit.

"All I know is that last time you came up with extra cash you were helping sell fake ids with a thug. The time before that, you quit piano lessons without telling anyone. I trust you and all, Brandon, but I don't want to think that we have just bought this quilt using some kind of money that we will all regret. Just tell me what is going on!"

Brandon walked into his room and shut the door. Callie opened the door and walked into Brandon's room. "We have a rule in this house about knocking! What about my privacy?" Brandon practically yelled at Callie.

"Well, you weren't changing or anything, you were just trying to get away from me! Just tell me…." Callie just noticed what everyone else in the house had been missing for months. "Brandon, where is your piano?" She whispered. "Please don't tell me that you sold your piano…. Brandon what did you do?" Callie's voice was becoming louder again.

"Shhhh… everyone will hear you. I did not make the money selling ids. Obviously, I made the money selling my piano. I needed money and I listed it online. I sold it for enough to do what I needed and I have been looking for a good use of the rest of the cash. The quilt seemed right. No one, other than you, has noticed it is missing and it has been gone for months. Just don't tell Moms."

"What have you been doing all of those evenings that you have claimed to be practicing your piano? Moms both think you have been showing amazing discipline by practicing some downstairs and then hours up in your room. For real, B?"

"I have also been practicing more at school…. I have spending time with Tayla online mostly. When she wasn't available, I have spent some extra time studying, reading, playing online games, or just about anything to throw off suspicion. Sometimes I just go to my room just to get space, you understand that, right?"

Callie nodded, but did not want to let him off without more answers. "What did you need the money for? You know that for most things you could go to your dad or Moms and they might give you an advance on your allowance. They will be so mad when they find out what you did…"

"They won't find out, because you, my dear sister, aren't going to say anything."

"I certainly won't say anything, my dear brother, if you tell me what happened that made you have need money that badly."

Brandon sighed. "I needed the money to pay my friend Brett to fix the tail light in Lena's car. I sort of had a little accident in the car a few months ago. That was the only real damage. Brett was able to fix it in one afternoon so that it was not noticeable. In some ways, this also helped you because you know that we would have both been yelled at and lectured for the damage."

"Oh, right. You did this to help me out, too. Moms would never believe that I was not involved. You are such an idiot!" Callie took the opportunity to hit Brandon upside the head as she yelled at him. "They aren't stupid, you know. They will find out about this. When they do, I am not lying for you."

Brandon rubbed his head and continued shouting. "Hey, no hitting! I didn't ask you to lie for me! Just…."

Callie and Brandon heard the door opening and saw both moms entering the room. Lena looked shocked at her two angry kids and handed Stef twenty dollars. "I told Mom that there was no way that the two of you would be in Brandon's room yelling at each other with the trouble you are both already in, but I will admit that I was wrong. Would either of you care to explain?"

Callie looked ready to talk, but Brandon quickly cut her off. "We were just discussing how much trouble we thought Callie would be in after her escape from the house today. She said that she should be the only one punished, but I was saying that I was equally involved, right Cals?"

"Right. Except now I can see how right you really were, B. He probably does deserve to be in trouble after all he was the one who told me to leave my phone at home and gave me the car keys. In fact, he was probably more involved than me. Am I missing anything, Brandon?"

"No, Callie's right. I probably deserve most of the blame. I told you guys she was going homework while she was gone. I should probably be grounded instead of her…"

"Enough! I do not want to hear it anymore!" Stef realized immediately that Callie had something on Brandon and started working on a plan to weasel it out of the two of them. "Brandon, why are you covering for Callie when it is clear that she is no longer covering for you?"

Brandon looked at Callie and then answered his mother. "Because she is my sister and I love her."

Lena looked at Brandon sideways and then went to sit on his piano bench only to find it missing. "To answer Callie's earlier question, I think we are missing something, Brandon. Where is your piano?"

XXXXXX

All the kids were in bed and Stef and Lena finally had a moment to themselves. "So, Brandon sold his piano. At least he was not selling drugs, fake ids, or anything else that could get him arrested. He did own the piano at least. And, he got the damage to my car fixed. Sort of commendable in a way." Lena stated happily.

"Are you seriously defending that boy? After he wrecked your car without saying anything?" Stef griped. "Well, Jesus and Mariana will be ready for the driving test soon. We won't need Brandon to drive as much in the upcoming months. Callie can take everyone to and from school for the last month of this school year."

"Callie… I didn't like her lying and sneaking out, but I also couldn't quite justify grounding her either. Her heart was in the right place, we just needed to remind her that it was always best to come to us. She actually compared Madalen to Jude today. I think that's a sign of the good things to come with Callie. You can see it, right?"

"I can. She also treated Brandon like a brother tonight. No hesitancy or awkwardness." Stef noticed that Lena was having a difficulty finding a comfortable position. "You okay, Babes?"

"I am fine, just feeling tired and large. Nothing that sleep won't fix. Remember that we are making pancakes in the morning and waking Jude early to eat with us."


	10. Chapter 10

Lena had slept poorly, but managed to fall into a deep sleep around three. When Stef woke up, she did not have the heart to wake her. Stef went downstairs to make pancakes. She remembered that Lena liked them with blueberries and Jude liked chocolate chips. Without too much trouble, she had made a few with each add in. When she was done, she went to wake her wife and son. Both Lena and Jude were morning people and easy to wake. All three went downstairs to eat pancakes in their pajamas.

"You made chocolate chip pancakes just for me! Thanks, Mom!"

"It was Mama's idea. We thought maybe we could just spend a little time with you… Hold off on the syrup there, Bud. It doesn't take so much." Stef wound up grabbing the bottle from Jude who had drowned his pancakes again. "So, is there anything new with you?"

"Not really." Jude then looked at Lena as she grimaced. "Mama! What's wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong. I'm fine. I just didn't sleep well and I am a little sore. Pass the syrup, Stef."

Stef looked questioningly at Lena also, but let it go. "Well, if you have nothing new and Mama's fine, then I guess it is time for me to talk to you about something. I know that you are fourteen and not really a little kid anymore so you probably know most of this already. Sometime really soon, Madalen is going to be born making you a big brother for the first time. Mama and I thought it would be nice to talk to you about your feelings."

Jude was unsure what to say. He looked at Lena for clarification and he saw that she was grimacing again. "Mama, are you sure you are alright? You look like you are in the lot of pain."

"I am fine, Jude." Lena said as the pain subsided. "We just wanted to connect with you again today to make sure that we are all okay. Gram is coming in tonight and it might be about the last chance time we have to spend with just you before Madalen comes. We can start simple. We know about your grades, but otherwise how are things at school?"

Jude was not convinced Lena was really okay, but went ahead and answered her question. "School is okay. Elliot's dad invited him to visit over the summer…."

XXXXXXX

The other kids eventually heard their alarms, smelled the pancakes, and got ready for school with minimal prompting. The once quiet house turned back into morning chaos. Lena had already called in sick to work and had asked Callie to drive everyone at school. Stef took over the duty of hurrying everyone up and reminding them to grab their things.

"MOM!" Mariana yelled.

Stef went running towards her to see Lena once again grimacing in pain. Mariana's alarm, though, was more about the fact that Lena's pajama pants were now wet. "Babes, let's go get you cleaned up in our room." Stef directed her wife into their room. "Love, you have been in pain all morning. Tell me, how often are you getting these pains?"

Lena was recovered again now. "Just off and on." The two women made eye contact and came to the same conclusion. "Stef, do you think it is time?"

Stef quickly helped her wife change clothes and helped her back downstairs. She then gathered up all of the kids. "Brandon, go upstairs in our room and grab our bag. Jude, get the quilt. Mariana and Jesus, go help your Mama get into my car. Callie, grab the camera. We need to get to the hospital now!"

The kids scurried around to do what their mom asked them to do. Stef took Lena and Callie took the rest of the family.

"Stef, I can't have the baby yet, my mom isn't here yet. Your mom isn't here yet either. Did we even call our parents? Let's just go back home and wait."

"If our moms are not here, at least something is going right… The baby comes when she is ready. Evidently the time is now. I will have our precious older children make all the phone calls that need to be made once we get to the hospital. They love to talk to their grandparents." Lena grimaced again and Stef sped up a little. "Right now, we just need to get to the hospital and meet Madalen."

XXXXXX

Stef let Lena out of the car and Mariana and Jude hoped out of the other car to help her into the hospital. After parking the cars, the rest of the family entered the hospital. Stef assigned each of the kids a person to call. "Jude, call the school and let Principal Sanchez know that you all will not be at school today because your mama is in labor. She should believe you. Brandon, call your dad. Mariana, call Gram and Gramps. Callie, call Grandma. Jesus, call Kelly and Jenna. When you are finished with your assigned call, you may call others. I need to go be with my wife and your mama. We will let you know when we know something else."

Stef walked back to where Lena was waiting. The kids pulled out their phones to make the calls. Dana already had a plane ticket for that day and Stuart contacted the airline and got his changed. Sharon also thought she could be there later that day. Principal Sanchez was shocked that Lena and Stef would have Jude call in, but understood when he explained the circumstances. She realized he was the only one she would believe in this situation. Mike informed Captain Roberts and soon the whole precinct knew. Kelly and Jenna both agreed to make a trip to the hospital after they got off from work.

By the time the phone calls were over, Stef had time to come back for the kids. "Mama is settled in a room. The doctor said it could take several hours or it could be very fast just depending on how things go. Right now, we are all going to go back to your mama's room to wait with us. You may talk, but please keep your voices sort of low."

XXXXXXX

Lena was hooked up to several different machines in her room. After a few hours, Lena was exhausted and the kids were growing restless. Stef had taken the kids to eat lunch in the cafeteria and allowed Lena to take a nap. Lena's contractions had gotten more painful and closer together as the day went. The doctor had been recommending an epidural, but Lena wanted natural childbirth. As the time became closer, Stef tried to send the kids from the room. Lena, though, wanted them to stay. Callie grabbed the camera to take pictures. Jude held Lena's right hand and Mariana held her left hand. Brandon and Jesus found a place to stand out of the way. Stef stood with the doctor ready to help deliver Madelen.

With a final push, Madalen was born. Stef was allowed to cut the cord. Stef and Lena held their daughter for the first time with the kids looking on and cried more than the infant. She was perfect. The doctor then found the baby to weigh six pounds and nine ounces and to be nineteen and a half inches long. A nurse then took Madelen to the hospital nursery to run the other tests run on newborns. She was cleaned up and found to be healthy. Soon Madelen was returned to her family.

Stef wrapped Madalen in her quilt and handed her to Lena again. All five Foster teenagers gathered around closely to examine their new baby sister. Her skin tone, like most newborns, was pinkish, but definitely slightly darker in color than any of her siblings. Madelen had some dark hair on her head and dark blue eyes. Everyone agreed that she was gorgeous.

"I want to hold her, would that be okay?" Mariana asked with her eyes misting over.

"I thought perhaps we would start youngest to oldest. Jude, make sure you have her head." Stef said as she carefully placed the newborn in Jude's arms. Callie took the camera and snapped a few shots.

"Hi, Maddie! I am your brother, Jude!" Jude leaned down and kissed her head lightly before carefully passing the baby to Mariana.

Stef and Lena looked at each other. "Maddie? I guess I like it, but I thought we were calling her Madalen until she got big enough to choose what she wanted to be called."

"Sorry, Mama, I just looked at her and she looked like a Maddie to me. Is that okay?"

"Of course it is. Just like Mariana calls you Judicorn… It turns out we can't really control what you call each other. It is just like that when you have a sibling." Lena was secretly pleased that Jude had already given his sister a nickname and figured it would stick.

"Hey, Maddie, I am Mariana! I can't wait to help paint your nails, take you shopping, and play with your hair! I know that we will be great friends and I will love having a baby sister!" Callie took a few pictures. Mariana kissed the baby then handed her to Jesus.

"Hello, Mads. I am Jesus. You are the first baby I have ever held. I guess that's pretty neat. You are very little. Is my turn done now?" Callie rolled her eyes and took a few pictures before putting the camera down and taking the baby from Jesus.

"Hello, Madalen! I am Callie." Stef observed that all the walls around Callie's heart seemed to fall as she held the baby. She picked up the camera to try to capture the look. "Welcome to our family, little one! I cannot believe how small you are. Mariana and I used to be outnumbered with brothers, but you balance everything out perfectly." Callie kissed Madalen and handed her to Brandon.

"Hi, Maddie. I am your oldest brother, Brandon, but everyone calls me B." Callie snapped a few more pictures and he handed the infant back to his mom.


	11. Chapter 11

Brandon and Jesus made a run to the airport to pick up all three grandparents. Stef did not want to send Brandon as he did not driving privileges, but she did not have the heart to make Callie leave the hospital yet. Callie had not left Maddie since she was brought back into the room. She had already changed Maddie's diaper once and carried her to Lena several times. Stef tried to distract her daughter, but Callie held fast to watching the infant.

Jude, also, was acting strangely. He had not left Lena's side since the birth. Even when the doctor came in and the other kids dismissed themselves from the room, Jude and Callie stayed. Lena thought it was odd, but also did not want to do anything to hurt either child's feelings. Instead, she just let Jude sit close and kept her eye on Callie.

Stef and Mariana watched the situation carefully, unsure what to make of it. They were excited when the boys got back with the grandparents. Hugs and kisses were given all around. Both grandmothers and the grandfather cooed over Maddie and had brought a few more presents. Callie took more pictures. Stef and Lena both cried a little watching their parents with their new baby, and remembering the grandfather who could not be there. Jude barely left Lena to greet his grandparents.

"Lena, my grandbaby is so perfect! She looks just like you did the day you were born." Lena noticed that Jude bristled at Dana's comment. "I can remember so clearly how special that day was for me and I know it was probably that way for you, too. Nothing can replace the memory of having a baby! I can't believe that I missed the birth of my granddaughter." Jude moved closer to Lena and she put her arm around him again. "I will help your wife take care of you for the next few weeks, you are looking kind of pale…"

Stef, in the meantime, was having a discussion with her mom who had already noticed the strange behavior of two of her grandchildren. "Dana, Stuart, and I are taking the kids out tonight and taking them home to sleep. You need to just stay here with your wife and new baby."

"But Mom…." Stef started.

"Stefanie, I am not taking no for an answer. I know that your concern is with Callie and Jude, but I promise to take care of them. You can trust me with your kids, I am their grandma. I love the whole bunch of them. I raised you and I cannot imagine any of my sweet grandbabies being more difficult than you were. It is just one night."

Stef hugged her mom. "I know… I know. Thanks. I am not sure how you are going to get them to leave with you, but you are welcome to try." Stef was relieved that the grandparents were all leaving and planning to take all five teens with them.

Sharon got everyone's attention. "Gram, Gramps, and I have planned a very special evening for a very special family. We need all of the Foster kids, except Maddie of course, to come with us. We are going to dinner and we will have some surprises. Let's go, Grandbabies!"

Mariana, Jesus, and Brandon all got up and headed toward the door. Jude and Callie didn't move. Sharon looked at Stef and then back to the two kids. "Callie, Jude, you are Fosters. Let's go."

Jude was the first to speak. He spoke very quietly, but Dana and Lena both heard him. "If it is just as good, I want to stay here with you guys."

"It is not just as good." Dana answered him. "Your moms need some time together and we want some time with you. We all flew in just to spend time with our grandchildren. Are you really saying you would rather stay with your moms who you see every day?"

"No, I guess not." He turned back to Lena with uncertainty still in his eyes.

"Go on, Love. We will still be here tomorrow morning when you get back. Give me a hug before you go." Jude reached over to where Lena was sitting up in her bed and hugged her. She kissed his head and whispered that she loved him.

"Callie? Are you coming? From what I see, Maddie already has two moms and she is not really needing a third. How about if we leave her to them for the night and you come out with us?" Sharon asked hopefully.

Callie started to protest, but saw the look on Stef's face and decided that it wouldn't be received well. "Bug, your grandmother is like me. She isn't going to take no for an answer. Have fun tonight, Babies!"

Reluctantly, Jude and Callie left the room with the others.

XXXXXX

Mariana was little distressed that the grandparents took the kids out to eat without allowing them to change clothes or clean up. They assured her that it did not matter how she was dressed. At the restaurant, Dana and Stuart handed out a few presents. Callie and Mariana received necklaces that matched the one they bought for Maddie. The boys each got a new watch with a similar design. Dana noticed that Jude silently put his watch in his pocket. Something was very wrong with her grandson.

The food came for the family and they started to eat. Stuart noticed that Jude wasn't eating. "Jude, are you feeling okay? Lena said you hadn't even had a snack since lunch. You should be hungry."

"No, I'm fine. I am just not hungry. May I go wait in the car now?" Before anyone could answer him, Jude got up and left the restaurant.

Callie started to follow him, but was stopped by Dana. "Callie, I got this. Just loan me your keys. If you could get boxes for our food that would be a great help. We will probably meet you all back at home, I will call or text if our plans change."

Callie looked hesitant. "It's okay, he is my brother…."

Dana gave Callie Lena's stern look as she interrupted. "And he is my grandson. Remember that I raised your mama and I know about her kids. Keys right now, Callie!" Callie tentatively handed Dana the keys and started to follow her. "Go back to the table. I want to talk to Jude alone."

Dana found the fourteen year old standing near one of the family cars. Jude was still small for his age, and in the parking lot he could pass for under twelve. Dana did not want to scare him off so she unlocked the car while she was still a safe distance away. After Jude climbed in the back of the car, Dana approached the car and got in on the other side.

Jude looked a little surprised. "I was expecting Callie or maybe Mariana."

"Well, then you must be delighted to know that I came instead." Dana put her arm around Jude much like Lena usually did. "Callie tried to follow you but I stopped her. I wanted to talk to my grandson without his big sister being present."

Jude took a moment to process. "But you are really only Maddie's grandma. You said that she looked just like Mama. You said that nothing could replace the memory of having a baby. So why did you follow me here?"

"Jude, do you remember your adoption?" Jude looked at Dana strangely and nodded. "Do you remember that Gramps and I were there?" Jude slowly nodded again. "I am sorry that I made you feel bad, I assure you that it was not my intention. Nothing can replace the memory of getting you or Callie either. My grandbabies entered my family different ways, but that does not make one way better than the other." She hugged Jude close. "Are you feeling any better?" Dana got out of the back of the car and moved into the driver's seat.

"Yes, a little. Now can you maybe just take me back to the hospital? I could just stay the night there with my moms."

Dana started the car and headed toward the house. "That's another thing we need to talk about right now. Have you told your moms about whatever is going on inside of you that makes you not want to leave them?"

"No. It didn't happen until today when I saw Maddie the first time. My birth mom died when I was little. I do not remember her very well. A feeling came over me when I saw Maddie that she wouldn't be okay in foster care. She needs Mom and Mama to grow up." Jude added quietly, "I think I still need them, too."

"I realize that you have lost a mother before, but Stef will do her best to keep Lena safe. Lena will also try to keep Stef safe. You are in a family now, Jude. If something were to happen to either of your mothers, the other one would keep you. If something were to happen to both of your mothers, you have grandparents. All of us love you and want what is best for all of our grandchildren. Maddie has all of us and she has you."

"Would you would keep me, Gram? I mean, if my moms couldn't."

"My dear, sweet boy. Of course I would keep you! You remind me so much of Lena when she was a little girl." Jude snapped his head up to hear how he was like his mama. "She would overthink things people said or did and come to the wrong conclusion. Sometimes she would even get to the point of not eating or sleeping because she was so concerned. Do you know what I did then?" Jude shook his head. "I would put my arms around her the same way as I had them around you and we would talk just like I am doing with you now. Lena's concern is what made her decide to go into education and become a foster parent. Her love and nurture, which I believe you have also inherited, is what makes her a fantastic vice principal and your mama."

"If you think my mama is so great, you should tell her that when you see her. I know she would love to hear that from you. Sometimes she thinks that you don't approve of her…."

XXXXXX

The rest of the family arrived home sometime later with Jude and Dana's food. Jude and Dana sat down to eat together. Sharon got out presents from her suitcase and started handing them out. The kids opened them to find matching brightly colored t-shirts. Callie and Mariana's said "Madalen's big sister" and the boys' shirts said "Madalen's big brother."

"I had those specially made. I thought maybe you could all wear them tomorrow. What do you think?"

Jesus threw his new shirt on over his other clothes and Jude soon followed. They both thanked their grandmother with a kiss on the cheek. Brandon looked at his brothers and decided that as long as he didn't have to wear the shirt to school it would be okay. He, too, thanked his grandmother. Mariana and Callie were neither one fond of the shirt, but both gave their grandma a hug and kiss for the thought.

As Callie started to go upstairs, Sharon stopped her. "Wait, Callie, come over here for a minute." Callie looked surprised, but walked slowly back toward her grandmother. "I know your moms are very into talking to you guys, yes?" Callie nodded slightly. "Well, then we need to have a little chat. Just me and you."

Sharon guided Callie to sit with her on the back porch. For a few minutes they just stared at each other. "So, uh, Grandma, what did you need to talk to me about?"

"I thought Lena just had to get you kids by yourselves for a talk and you opened up about your feelings. What am I supposed to do to get that going?"

"Usually I have done something or something bad has happened. One or both of my moms say that we need to talk. We go somewhere like this to be alone. They tell me the problem and then either ask what happened, what I am feeling, or something like that. Then we all share. Sometimes I end up in trouble, but I hope not this time."

"No, you are not in trouble. I saw how protective you were being of Maddie. What are your feelings? Did I do that right?"

"Sort of, I guess. My feelings towards Maddie? Is that what you are asking?" Sharon nodded. "I love her and she is my baby sister. What are your feelings?"

"I think that a long time ago, you were put in charge of your baby brother when you were just a little girl. I also think that your mothers have made their best efforts to assure you that you are no longer his caregiver. At the hospital, it seemed like you were sort of back to having that same issue with Maddie as you had with Jude. What do you think?"

"I can see how you would think that… The day Jude was born was crazy. My mom had him at home because we did not have a way to get to the hospital. My dad was off doing whatever he did, mostly drinking, I think. I helped deliver my brother when I was just a preschooler, there was no one else who could help. My mom asked me to protect my brother and that's what I have done my whole life until recently. When we moved in here, Moms started taking care of him, putting him to bed, helping him with his homework, you know, all of the things I used to do. It was hard for me to adjust, but I have. Then today Maddie just looked so helpless, like Jude did. I guess I kind of forgot."

"Stef and Lena can take care of Maddie. I am sure they like your help and support, but they are her mothers just like they are your mothers and Jude's mothers. Now, we have shared. I feel better. What is next in our talk to have it be official?"

Callie laughed a little. "You have to lay down the law, which you sort of already have. You have already said I am not in trouble, so we can skip over that part. Then, you ask if I have questions. You can go with the approach of asking like you want to really know if I have any questions or you can ask like your daughter…"

Sharon also laughed. "I can only imagine… Before Lena, she was a little rough around the edges. Well, I already said that she has two mothers and you are not one of them. So, stop acting like it. Any questions?"

"Not really, I get it. Now, this last part is optional. My moms always finish by hugging me, kissing me, and telling me how much they love me."

Sharon eyed her oldest granddaughter. "Why is that part optional? It sounds like the best part of the whole concept to me."

"Well, you know, we have not known each other very long and I am not exactly one of yours like Brandon. I just don't want to pressure you or anything."

Sharon got up and walked in the house. Callie felt a little disappointed, but she understood. Then, Sharon came right back outside with Dana. "This one says she doesn't belong to us like the other kids."

Dana looked at Callie closely and then back at Sharon. "No, this one is Callie. She is ours. She fits in between Brandon and the twins. Our oldest girl. From the stories I get from her mama, she acts just like her mom."

Sharon nodded. "Well, she just told me that hugging her, kissing her, and telling her that we love her is optional as she really isn't ours. I was thinking it sounded a little funny myself. So, Callie, you were helping me out earlier. What do your mom and mama do when you doubt your place?"

Callie's eyes sparkled as she smiled and shrugged her shoulders. Both grandmothers grabbed Callie at once giving her the first ever grandma sandwich. "This is exactly what they do."


	12. Chapter 12

All five of the Foster teens slept in the family room. They had suggested to their grandparents that they should all watch a movie. After fierce arguing, Sharon picked the movie. The kids all put on their pajamas and brought down several pillows and blankets. Dana and Stuart went upstairs to Brandon's room to sleep shortly after the movie started. An hour or so later, Sharon looked around and saw that Jude and Mariana were curled together on the floor asleep. A few minutes later, Callie joined them. Sharon got up and tucked her three sleeping grandchildren in and kissed their heads. She went over to Jesus and Brandon and said goodnight. Then Sharon went upstairs and climbed into Callie's bed for the night.

Callie woke up and disentangled herself from her sister and brother. The house was still quiet and dark although the sun had been up for a while. Callie went into the kitchen and started getting out all the ingredients she would need to make her favorite breakfast. First, she started the coffee. Her moms had been very certain that their children did not drink coffee and weaned her off fairly quickly. Since neither were home, Callie decided that she could indulge.

The smell of coffee woke Stuart. He came downstairs and observed Callie hard at work rolling out the biscuit dough. "Need some help?" Stuart asked.

"No, I got this." Callie said dismissively.

"Okay. How about I fry some sausage to go with your biscuits?"

"Whatever you want to do. Sausage is in the freezer." Callie took a gulp of her coffee.

Stuart went over the freezer and pulled out the meat. "I have always enjoyed cooking. Sometimes when Lena was a little girl we would cook together on Saturday mornings. It's been a long time since then." Stuart looked over at Callie. She had just put the biscuits into the oven and was once again drinking her coffee. "Do your moms let you guys drink coffee?" Callie looked alarmed and guilty. "I didn't think so." He grabbed for a mug and Callie poured a cup for him. "I won't tell if you don't. That's what grandparents are for."

Everyone else in the household woke up to the smells of biscuits, gravy, and sausage. One by one they got up and filled plates to eat. Callie's phone buzzed part of the way through the meal. She was a little unsure about pulling it out to read the message. Normally that was grounds to lose a phone for the day. However, she also knew the grandparents wouldn't know. Callie pulled out her phone with her siblings observing. The text was from Stef. "Good morning, Bug! We are not home with you this morning, but this is a reminder that coffee is off limits. J" Callie smirked and passed her phone to Stuart who laughed. Callie then replied to her mother giggling a little.

Mariana, Jesus, Brandon, and Jude looked on in interest. Callie and Stuart had never been particularly close before. Obviously they had bonded over making breakfast. They also noticed that she was breaking two Foster family rules with her cell phone and coffee. Since it appeared that cell phones were not a problem at the table today, slowly all of the kids, even Jude, got their phones out. All conversation with them stopped as they were all talking to their friends and playing games. Then, one by one the kids all wandered away from the table. Leaving the dishes and clean up to the grandparents.

Even though it was a Friday, the kids were pretty certain that they could stay home from school again today. Mariana went upstairs to shower and get ready for the day. She remembered that had Callie some earrings that would look fabulous with the shirt she had to wear. Mariana reasoned that Callie wouldn't care so she got out the earrings and put them in her ears.

When the moms were home, the boys were always told to get dressed and ready for the day before playing video games. In their absence, Jesus powered up his game system and handed a remote to Jude. The two of them quickly forgot about the time and started playing the game like zombies.

Brandon took the opportunity to borrow a car and leave the house. He was grounded, but his grandparents didn't know. They were busy with the dishes. He said he would be back and no one questioned him. Brandon knew that Talya was at school and that he could not go and hang out there today. Instead, he went to the beach. It was a good place to be alone and just think.

Callie took a shower and got dressed shortly after her sister. She went over to her dresser and noticed a drawer was open a little. Upon further investigation, Callie realized that Mariana had been in her stuff and a pair of her earrings were missing. Callie went and hunted down Mariana. She found her putting on make-up in the mom's bathroom. "Give me back my earrings!" Callie shrieked. "You know that you have to ask before you borrow my things!"

Mariana did know that policy, but was not intending to give the earrings back. "We also have a rule about knocking before you enter a room! I didn't hear you knock!" She shot back.

"This isn't your room and the door was open! Just give me back my stuff!" Callie got out her phone like she was going to text.

"Or what, you will be a tattletale? If you tell about me borrowing your earrings, I will tell that you had coffee at breakfast!"

"If you tell that, I will tell that you were on your phone at breakfast! And it was your day to wash the dishes!" Callie yelled back at her sister.

"You were on your phone, too! And I know that last week when you said you were going to the library, you were really on a date. We wouldn't want moms to know that, now would we?"

"Mari, you wouldn't dare tell that! If you tell them that, I will tell moms about two weeks ago when you…."

Both girls looked up to see that all three grandparents heard their fighting and had hurried up the stairs. None of the group looked happy. Dana spoke first. "Mariana Elizabeth Foster and Callie Marie Foster, I am not sure what you are bickering about, but it stops now."

The girls looked at Dana in surprise, she had never yelled at them before. Then Sharon spoke trying using the new approach. "Okay, Callie, yesterday you helped me out some. Maybe you can again today. This seems like the time for one of those famous talks again. Let's all have a seat over here on the bed. Stuart, we have this if you want to go check on the boys." Stuart left the room. "We all know you two were screaming at each other. Gram and I would like to know why."

Both girls started talking and Dana held up a hand. "We will start with Mariana. What happened?"

"Callie barged in on me in the bathroom without knocking and demanded that I take off these earrings. She also broke two rules at breakfast by texting on her phone and drinking coffee. Moms would punish her for sure."

Sharon was trying to be careful to follow what Stef and Lena did with their kids. "That part comes later in this process if I am right. Callie, it is your turn next. What do you say happened?"

"Mariana stole my earrings! I went to put them on and they were gone. She was in here with the door open so I went in and ask for them back. Gramps said I could have coffee at breakfast and I was texting with Mom at breakfast. Mariana, on the other hand, was probably talking to Zac. Plus, we have chores to do every day and she knew it was her today to do the breakfast dishes."

Dana was starting to put some of the pieces together. "Normally breakfast is not that quiet… I had the feeling something was different. What does your mama do about phones out at the table?" The girls looked at each other and did not answer. "It's okay if you don't tell me. I can always text her and ask. Or perhaps text your mom instead and tell her of this whole incident."

Mariana quickly spoke up. "We usually lose our phones for a little while. Like for the rest of the meal."

"More like the rest of the day." Callie volunteered. "If it keeps happening or we have bad attitudes, sometimes it can even last a whole week."

"Thank you for your help, ladies." Dana said smiling. "I will be having both of your phones and I will be gathering the boys' phones also. You may have them back tonight. If there is no fuss, I will give them back myself. If you cannot handle it, I will give them to your moms to give back."

Both girls groaned a little but handed their phones to Dana. Sharon once again took charge. "Now, about the earrings. It seems like to me that Mariana took them without asking. Is this correct?" Mariana nodded slowly. "In that case, give the earrings back to your sister. Callie, next time you are going to confront Mariana make sure you knock. You should probably both be in trouble, but I had a sister. I know how it is. I think that the two of you need to go to your room and work this out together. Any questions?"

"Are you going to make us hug it out at the end, Grandma?" Mariana asked.

"Is that what your moms would do?" Both girls again nodded. "Okay then, work it out and get to hugging. Do we get to hug and kiss both of you, too?"

XXXXX

Stuart knocked on the boys' door with no response. He tried again and then opened the door to peek in the room. Both boys were enthralled in their game and did not even look up. Stuart noticed right off that neither boy was showered or dressed. "Excuse me, boys, but I think it is time to turn off your game and get ready to go back to the hospital."

Neither boy responded. "Jesus, Jude, let's go. Time to shower and get dressed." Stuart said more forcefully this time. When he still got no response, he stood in front of the TV. "Right now!"

Jesus and Jude struggled to look around him and continued playing. Frustrated, he turned off the TV and received protests from both boys. "I asked you guys nicely and you wouldn't listen. Go get ready to go. Your mama has already texted me this morning to find out if we were on our way up there or not. By the way, have either of you two seen Brandon?"

"We have been in here all morning and Brandon isn't with us. He is grounded so he should be here somewhere." Jude replied.

"Okay, I will find him while you two get moving. Go shower and get dressed right now." Stuart left the room and Jesus turned the TV back on to continue playing.

Stuart looked all over the house and still had not found Brandon. He remembered Brandon saying something that morning, but could not remember quite what he said was going on. He decided to call and Brandon picked up. "Hey, B. Where you are? Your brothers told me that you were grounded and not allowed to leave the house. Is that true?"

XXXXX

Brandon drove home mad. The entire drive he fumed at his brothers for telling their grandfather he was grounded. For sure this would all be reported to his moms and he would be in even more trouble. He pulled up at the house and slammed his car door. Brandon stormed upstairs to his brothers' room and opened the door. Both younger boys were still in pajamas playing their game. Brandon unplugged the machine and grabbed the power cord. Jesus and Jude tried to get the cord back, but Brandon held it just out of their reaches. By this time all three boys were yelling at each other and had drawn the two girls out of their room. Callie and Mariana joined the general chaos unsure exactly what everyone else was fighting over, but were able to resume their own fight.

The grandparents gathered outside of the room cautious on how to proceed. "How do Lena and Stef deal with all of this every day? The three of us cannot seem to handle these five kids even overnight without issues." Stuart questioned.

"I only ever raised Stef. One child is easy compared to this. All their parenting techniques are brand new to me."

"If I know our daughters, they handle these kids with love, respect, and discipline." Dana added. "I imagine fights like this do not happen as much when the rules are being followed. Should we in call Stef to deal with this? What is our plan?"

"I think that I am to blame for part of this mess. I was making breakfast with Callie this morning and I knew she was not allowed to have coffee, but I wanted to be a fun grandparent. Then, at the table she showed me a text from Stef that specifically said no coffee. Her text led to the others getting out phones. Which led to the silence at the table and not getting everyone on the same page. Now, I think the kids are still the guiltiest, but I do not think we need to call in the moms. We were all parents. We can get a grip on these kids and get them back to their moms in one piece in the next thirty minutes. What is first?"

Dana knew this one. "First, we need phones from all three boys. I already have the girls' phones. That's for having them out at breakfast. We are giving back them ourselves tonight."

"Then we need to get all of the kids to their own rooms. Send Jude to shower while one of us goes into each room to deal with the occupants. Dana, I think you should take the girls. I will take on Jesus and then Jude. Stuart, you get Brandon. We are supposed to ask for their feelings, talk it out, lay down the law, ask for questions, hug and kiss them, and I guess at this point make all of them hug each other before we leave for the hospital. Are you both ready?"

XXXXXX

Forty-five minutes later the grandparents had all of the kids loaded in the car. They determined that as a group they were all banned from TV, all would have any extra chores they were asked to do, and would all be going to bed early (everyone was sleeping in Jesus and Jude's room tonight). The power cord and cell phones would be redistributed tonight. If all of this was done willingly, the mothers would not have to be consulted. All five kids knew that getting either of their mothers involved would end in a more than one day punishment, so they had readily agreed with the grandparents. On the way to the hospital, the family went by a fast food place to get a quick lunch.


	13. Chapter 13

At the hospital, Lena and Maddie were nearly ready to be discharged. Both moms had been expecting their family back early that morning, but now it was past noon and they still were not there. Stef and Lena had texted and called their children, but no one had answered since early morning. Their parents had answered and claimed everything was going well, but Stef had some serious doubts. Lena assured her that even if the parents had not followed all of the rules with the kids, everything was probably fine. After all, Stef and Lena both survived childhood.

The family finally arrived with the kids all in their matching shirts. Both moms were delighted to see all of them safe and in once piece. Stef laughed a little about the shirts, but Lena made her stop. Soon the family was gathering up everything they needed to take home. Lena noticed that although Jude was excited to see her, he was not sticking so close and that Callie was willing to let Stef carry Maddie out of the hospital. She knew that the parents had been responsible for talking to those two and it made her happy.

Stef noticed the kids were a little too helpful and it made her even more suspicious of what exactly had happened this morning at the house. Jesus was also a bit jittery, perhaps like he had not taken his medication. Both Callie and Mariana seemed cheerful enough, but were not making eye contact with each other. She figured she could get the story out someone later.

Once the family was all at home, Stef caught Callie by herself. "Hey, Love Bug. Did you have fun last night?"

"Yeah, I guess. We ate dinner and then we came back here to watch a movie. All five of us slept in the family room last night." Callie decided to leave out any details that could lead to trouble.

"That does sound nice. Maybe we could have a movie night again tonight unless you have plans to go out somewhere. What do you think?"

"No, plans. I am kind of tired and I might go to bed sort of early tonight." Callie yawned for effect. "We have all agreed to stay in Jude and Jesus's room tonight to leave room for the grandparents in the other two bedrooms."

"You want to go to bed early on a Friday night? Really? Are you feeling okay, Callie?"

"I'm fine. Just a little tired. I got up early this morning to make my famous biscuits and gravy. Gramps helped this morning. It turned out pretty well, I think."

Stef noted that Callie seemed fairly open to talking so she asked another question. "So, if you were up early having breakfast, why did it take you all so long to make it back up to the hospital?"

"We didn't eat all that early. Then we all had to get ready…. You know how long that can take. What about you? Did you and Mama have a nice evening and morning?" Callie was hoping to avert this line of questioning.

"Yes, of course we did, but I am still not sure about your morning. You responded to my text early this morning so I know you were up then. I sent you something an hour later and got no response. I called you and you didn't answer. Let me see your phone, Cals."

Callie wasn't sure what to do about this, but decided that she would go for the minimum offense. "Well, Mom, I got your text about the coffee at breakfast. I read it and replied. Gram now has my phone. You know the rule about not playing with a phone at mealtimes."

"Oh, yeah. I can see that." Stef was pretty certain that Dana did not know their cell phone rule. "And did you have coffee at breakfast?"

Callie gave a guilty nod. "But I had it before I even got your text. Gramps let me…"

Stef put her arms around her daughter. "If that is the biggest thing that went wrong this morning, I would say it was a good morning. I can't believe that Gram knew the rule about the phones… and you got in trouble because of a text from me. Sorry, Bug. I will see if I can get it back for you."

"No need. I will just get it back later today. It is no big deal."

Even from Callie, this seemed like an odd statement. Next Stef went to find Jude. Lena was closer with their youngest son, but she figured that she could get the truth from him. "Jude, buddy, come talk to your old mom."

He looked confused. "I don't think you are old, but I can always make time for my mom. What's up?"

"I know that you didn't really want to leave the hospital last night. Did you have a good night with your grandparents after all?"

"At first I was pretty uncertain, but then Gram talked to me and I felt a lot better. She said that I would always have a family from now on. If something bad happens to Mama I will still have you. If something happens to both of you, her and Gramps would take Maddie and me to live with them. Gram and Gramps gave me this watch. Grandma gave us these shirts. Then we watched a movie and had a slumber party down here. It was fun."

Stef noticed he gave more details than Callie and knew she came to the right place. "She's right you know, Baby. You do have a family now and it will be forever. Gram is pretty smart. How was your morning?"

"We had a nice breakfast. Callie and Gramps made it. After breakfast Jesus and I played video games. We got to the second to last level before…" He paused here not wanting to get himself in more trouble. "We stopped to get dressed to go to the hospital. We got to eat greasy fast food for lunch. Mama would hate that, but it was great."

Stef noticed the pause and saw that he even made an attempted to change the subject. "Did you like the text I sent to you this morning?"

Jude was not aware of any text. "Um… Yes. It was great. Thanks."

"Why didn't you reply?"

"I was going to reply, but then I wasn't sure what to say. I guess I lost track of time or something. Sorry, Mom."

"Let me see your phone, Jude." Jude looked up with guilt. "That's what I was thinking. My text said, 'Mama and I love you, Little Man!' You would have replied quickly if you had seen it. So, Gram has your phone because you had it out at breakfast?" Jude nodded. "And your video games are one of the main reasons that you did not make it to the hospital until afternoon, right? I am guessing that you stopped when someone made you stop. Were the others also in trouble this morning?"

"Do I really have to answer you?" Jude pleaded.

"Do I really want to know?"

Jude smiled broadly. "Nope. The grandparents took care of it. No TV, no video games, no phones, and an early bedtime. Just don't tell the others that I said anything."

Stef hugged Jude close and kissed him several times on the head. "I won't tell them. I just really needed to know what was going on around here. I love you, Buddy!"

"I love you, too, Mom and I am so glad you guys are home."

XXXXXX

Stef demanded that the kids have quiet time in their rooms since she wanted to talk to the grandparents alone. Lena was already upstairs napping with baby Maddie. "So, Dana, I think I have gathered from just interviewing two of my children that you have gathered up five cell phones this morning. Am I correct?"

"Yes. I have all five. They all had them out at breakfast. So strangely quiet with all of them typing away. I think part of the time they might have even been texting each other. I thought it was unacceptable behavior, but I did not know it was one of your rules until later on in the morning. As soon as I found out, I got all of the phones for the day. Was that alright?"

"Of course. They know the rules and that is exactly what I would have done. Who has the video game power cord and who came up with the notion to take it?"

Stuart spoke up this time. "I have the power cord for the games. Jesus and Jude were playing for hours without getting ready to go. Brandon actually took it because he was mad at them for telling me that he wasn't supposed to leave the house. I got it from him. We are going to give it back tonight, it just seemed right at that point to hold on to it for a while."

"B left the house… Well, that can be addressed later. Their power cord is taken fairly often. The boys also know to get ready before doing anything else. What about the girls? I know about Callie having coffee which is not a huge deal."

"They had some difficulties as well this morning." Sharon volunteered. "They fought over some earrings, privacy, and that sort of issue. Same sorts of issues I had with my sister. I tried my best to use that sharing feelings sort of system that you and your wife are so fond of. The earrings were given back and they hugged to make it up. For that matter, we also made the boys hug after the video game squabble."

"Let me guess, Mariana took Callie's earrings without asking and Callie went to confront her somewhere without knocking… Those two are nothing if not predictable. Cals probably had no intention to wear the earrings in question and Mari was not doing anything that required privacy. Since they tell each other everything, they have some excellent leverage for blackmail that starts coming out when they fight." The grandparents seemed to affirm this was all true. "Running a household of five, now six, kids requires having everyone on schedule. I will also venture to say that Jesus did not take his medication, no one helped clear the table or do dishes, no one called the school to say the kids wouldn't be there, and generally the house felt chaotic, yes?"

"That pretty much sums things up." Sharon said looking squarely at her daughter. "What are you going to do to those kids?"

"Your discipline stands. It sounds like you handled things well. Nothing that we would not have done. We will watch a few days, but I imagine most of those issues will be okay tomorrow morning when Lena and I are back in charge."

"One more thing, Stefanie, I talked to Callie last night. Today she both seemed fine, but last night she was not. Callie said she didn't belong to us. I think Dana and I were able to assure her that she did, though."

"Thanks, Mom!" Stef said getting up to hug her mother.

"And I had a similar sort of discussion with Jude. It is still difficult at times with those two, isn't it? I guess I sort of thought that adoption would change everything. I really do love those two."

"Thanks Dana and Stuart!" She reached over the hug her in-laws. "My babies are so fortunate to have you guys. I would understand if you never came back after this…"

XXXXXXX

Stef joined Lena and Maddie in the master bedroom. She told her wife about the information that she got from the kids and from the parents. To her surprise, Lena laughed which also made Stef laugh. "I think Jude was right, we didn't really want to know what happened while we were gone. I bet our parents will think twice before taking charge of all the kids alone again. Are our lives really that crazy?"

"I don't think so, Babes. We might be too close to the six kinds of crazy living in this house to know for sure, though. Our parents actually got the kids to agree to no TV, no video games, no phones, and an early bedtime in Jesus and Jude's room without any of them protesting at all just based on not telling us. Your mom said she would make dinner tonight. My mom said she would help. We can just nap or something until then. This might have all been an elaborate plan to keep the mothers from coming back for a while…"

XXXXXXX

At dinner, Stef and Lena announced that all of the adults would be watching a movie that evening while the kids cleaned up the kitchen and got everything ready for the sleepover in the boys' room. Sharon would be leaving on Sunday, so the kids knew this sleeping arrangement could only be for one or two nights. Dana and Stuart would be staying longer, and Brandon was still intending to sleep in the family room for the duration of their stay. Both moms came upstairs with Maddie to say good night to the kids. Dana, Stuart, and Sharon followed the moms to hug and kiss their grandchildren. Dana gave back their phones and Stuart gave back the power cord. Shortly after all of the good nights, the whole household was asleep.

The next morning came early. Lena and Stef had both been up with Maddie in the night a few different times. Stef let Lena sleep in and got the kids roused herself. "Good morning, Babies!" Stef said as she turned on the light. "I am aware it is Saturday, but I also know we have a lot going on this morning. Mariana, if you want the first shower, it is now. Everyone else go ahead and get up sort of quietly. Maddie and Mama are sleeping and I would like it to stay that way for as long as possible."

Mariana got up and drug herself towards the kids' bathroom. Brandon and Callie started folding the sleeping bags and blankets from the floor to make more space in the room. Jesus continued sleeping and Jude crept silently into the master bedroom to shower. On his way across the room Lena stirred a bit. "Jude, is that you, Baby?"

"Yes, Mama, I am just going to use your shower really quick. Is that okay?"

"Of course. First, though, will you come over here and talk to me for a minute."

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Stef went downstairs to start breakfast. She decided scrambled eggs would be a good start. While she was cooking she heard both showers start up and stop. Jude was the first one down stairs. He grabbed some fruit and started making a fruit salad to go with the eggs. Callie was the next one through the shower and she started the coffee and the toast. Mariana came down and set the table. Stef sent Jude back upstairs to make sure Jesus was really up. Pretty soon, all three boys were downstairs sitting down at the table. Lena fed Maddie and then joined the family for breakfast. The grandparents were awoken by the smell of food again and wandered down as well.

When the family was almost done eating, Stef decided it was time to get organized. "Okay, babies, here is what I know that is going on today. Brandon, you are still grounded, but you also have piano today at 3 someone will drop you off and pick you up. Callie, you have group at 10, which is just two hours from now. Do you have everything done that you need?" Callie nodded. "Good, Jesus make sure you take your pill today. You are meeting Emma at the beach this morning to run, right?" Jesus gave an affirmative answer. "Perfect, after breakfast and your pill you may go. Mariana, you are meeting Lexi at the mall. Looks like that will work out perfectly if Callie drops you off on her way to group. Use your time in the car to work out whatever is going on between the two of you. Call when you need a ride back, and it needs to be before 1. Jude, you are walking to Elliot's house this morning, but I want you also back by 1. Any questions, concerts, or anything else I missed?"

"Can I have an advance on my allowance?" Mariana asked.

"No. Any other questions?"

"Is group really necessary? Everyone thinks I have made improvements. I mean, it is still a group for foster kids and I have been adopted. I know I made some pretty bad decisions, but it was a long time ago now. And you already have me going to a family therapist with you guys. Jude doesn't have to go to either one…"

"Mom and I will discuss it, Cals, and then talk to your probation officer. For this week, yes, you must go. You already missed group on Wednesday, you can't miss again today." Lena weighed in. "We are very proud of your progress, but this isn't just up to us."

Callie sighed and started to protest again. Then she saw the looks she was getting from her mothers and decided it would be better to just be quiet.

"One more thing, Principal Sanchez called yesterday and said your work for the last two days will be in Mama's office." This announcement was met with groans. "I am going to swing by and pick it up. We want you caught up on Monday. You all should have plenty of time to finish your work today because no one has that much going on. Everyone good?"

Jesus looked a little dodgy. "Before you ask, Jesus, yes, your work must be done. Come straight back after your run and get started. Anything else you want to do can be done after your work is done." Lena looked at the rest of her kids. "That goes for all of you, schoolwork comes first. In fact, tomorrow consider yourselves grounded until your work is finished, understood?"

The kids were visibly irritated by Lena's announcement, but finally call gave affirmative answers.

"If that is it, you all are dismissed. We love all of you and expect good things. Remember to take your phones and call if need a ride, your plans change, or you need anything else. We will be around here all day."

Jude and Jesus both got up, said good bye and left. Callie and Mariana washed the dishes. Brandon volunteered to sweep the kitchen and clean the table hoping that doing some extra chores would help his current grounding.

"Okay, so what did you guys do to the kids we watched yesterday morning? There is no fighting and everyone is on task. You are two are amazing mothers!" Dana gushed. "I am glad that I am staying longer, though. Sharon and I have been discussing how you guys could probably use one of us to stay here all the time. Maddie is going to need…"

"Thanks, Mom. I appreciate the offer, but I think we really do have a handle on things. My kids are amazing, they just need a little direction. It will take some adjusting, but we can do this ourselves. Thanks for coming to spend time with our children. Sorry, it was hectic." Lena stood up to go upstairs.

Dana realized what Jude had told her the night before and knew that once again she had said the wrong thing to her daughter. "I know you two can handle it, Sweetheart. Like I said, you two are amazing mothers to my grandbabies. We love our grandchildren, but you have shown us again why we are grandparents and not parents to these six little angels. Thank you for sharing them with us." Lena looked at her mother with tears in her eyes and hugged her. "I love you so much, Baby."

"I love you, too, Mom. And thanks, I really needed to hear that from you today."

When Lena finally let go, she went to check on Maddie again. Stef smiled to herself and invited her mother to make the trip up to the school with her. Seeing Lena and Dana work on their relationship inspired Stef to do the same. They spent the time in the car really talking. Stef and Lena both knew their mothers were going to continue to drive them crazy in the future (as they also knew they would drive their own children crazy someday). They also knew that their kids were going to continue to be all over the place. However, for this moment, all was right with their world.


End file.
